Randomized clinical trial of brief eclectic psychotherapy for police officers with posttraumatic stress disorder

J Trauma Stress. 2000 Apr;13(2):333-47. doi: 10.1023/A:1007793803627.

Abstract

The authors report on a randomized, controlled clinical trial on the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), comparing manualized psychotherapy to wait-list control. This is the first study to evaluate Brief Eclectic Psychotherapy (BEP), which combines cognitive-behavioral and psychodynamic approaches within one treatment method. Forty-two police officers with the diagnosis of PTSD participated in the study; 22 were randomly assigned to the treatment group and 20 to the wait-list control group. Assessments of PTSD and comorbid conditions were made 1 week before treatment, after treatment session 4, upon termination of treatment (16 sessions), and at follow-up 3 months later. As expected, no significant differences between groups were observed at pretest or at session 4. At posttest and at follow-up, BEP had produced significant improvement in PTSD, in work resumption, and in some comorbid conditions.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Analysis of Variance
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Netherlands
  • Occupational Diseases / psychology
  • Occupational Diseases / therapy*
  • Pilot Projects
  • Police*
  • Psychotherapy, Brief / methods*
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / therapy*