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Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a response to extreme psychological stress that affects about 8% of the general population in their lifetime (American Psychiatric Association ). Randomized clinical
trials (RCTs) have demonstrated the effectiveness of cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, or EMDR (Chambless and Ollendick 2001). However, only one RCT (Brom, Kleber, and Defares 1989) has included psychodynamic treatment for PTSD (Roth and Fonagy 1996), despite research showing that more primary care patients report receiving psychodynamic interventions (30%) than cognitive-behavioral interventions (26%) or exposure (16%) for PTSD (Rodriguez et al. 2003).
Research suggests that clinicians’ theoretical orientations may not correspond in a predicable or obvious way with their interventions (Beutler, Machado, and Neufeldt 1994). When treating a PTSD patient, clinicians may alter their customary technique to address issues specific to PTSD (Herman 1997). To investigate this phenomenon, psychoanalysts, psychodynamic clinicians, and cognitive therapists were invited to participate in an online survey of therapeutic approaches to patients with PTSD in an effort to discover commonalties between, and defining characteristics within, each group of respondents.
Participants. Therapists identifying themselves primarily with psychodynamic/psychoanalytic and cognitive-behavioral practice were recruited from major professional organizations via announcements disseminated by e-mail. Those who expressed interest were directed to an internet-based survey approved by the CUA Human Subjects’ Committee.
Demographic/educational history questionnaire. The demographic questionnaire included questions about therapist background, such as highest professional degree and core professional identif ication. Participants were asked to select the approach that best represented their treatment of clients/patients and to rate their overall adhe