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Commentary on: Bryant RA, Kenny L, Rawson N et al. Efficacy of exposure-based cognitive behaviour therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder in emergency service personnel: a randomised clinical trial. Psychol Med 2018:1–9. doi: 10.1017/S0033291718002234.
Implications for practice and research
Preliminary evidence suggests that ‘brief’ and ‘prolonged’ exposure-based therapy yield similar reductions in post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms in emergency service personnel.
Future research should include female participants, conduct a comparative cost analysis and power studies to account for the often high attrition rate encountered in studies investigating psychiatric interventions.
Context
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition which can occur with traumatic exposure.1 Occupational predilection to trauma places emergency service personnel at risk. Trauma-focused exposure-based therapy (EBT) is understood to improve PTSD symptoms.2 Contemporary research investigates the efficacy of ‘prolonged’ and ‘brief’ EBT within specific PTSD populations.3 Extant research …
Footnotes
Competing interests None declared.
Provenance and peer review Commissioned; internally peer reviewed.