From the Guidelines
Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT) is not recommended as a first-line treatment for PTSD flares, as the most recent and highest quality study suggests that specific manualized psychotherapies such as prolonged exposure, cognitive processing therapy, or eye movement desensitization and reprocessing psychotherapy are preferred over other forms of therapy. According to the 2023 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and U.S. Department of Defense clinical practice guideline 1, these therapies have been shown to be effective in treating PTSD and are recommended over pharmacotherapy.
Key Points to Consider
- The guideline recommends the use of specific manualized psychotherapies, which have been shown to be effective in treating PTSD 1.
- EFT may still be a valuable treatment option for some individuals, particularly those who have not responded to other forms of therapy or who have specific needs that EFT can address.
- However, based on the current evidence, it is not recommended as a first-line treatment for PTSD flares.
- Providers are encouraged to use the guideline to support evidence-based, patient-centered care and shared decision making to optimize individuals' health outcomes and quality of life 1.
Treatment Options
- Prolonged exposure, cognitive processing therapy, or eye movement desensitization and reprocessing psychotherapy are recommended as first-line treatments for PTSD flares 1.
- Paroxetine, sertraline, or venlafaxine may also be considered as treatment options, although pharmacotherapy is generally recommended as a second-line treatment after psychotherapy has been tried 1.
- Secure video teleconferencing may be used to deliver recommended psychotherapy when other options are unavailable 1.
From the Research
Emotion-Focused Therapy for PTSD
- Emotion-focused therapy is not explicitly mentioned in the provided studies as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
- The studies primarily focus on trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapies, such as Prolonged Exposure (PE), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) 2, 6.
- Additionally, the studies discuss the use of medication, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), as a treatment for PTSD 4, 5.
- There is limited information available on the effectiveness of emotion-focused therapy for treating PTSD, and more research is needed to determine its efficacy.
Comparison of Therapies
- A systematic review and meta-analysis found no difference in PTSD symptom reduction between trauma-focused psychotherapies and SSRIs or SNRIs 5.
- Another study found that trauma-focused CBTs may be effective for individuals with PTSD under ongoing threat of reexposure, but more research is needed to confirm this finding 6.
- The studies suggest that trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapies and medication may be effective treatments for PTSD, but the optimal treatment approach may depend on individual circumstances and needs.
Gaps in Research
- There is a need for more research on the effectiveness of emotion-focused therapy for treating PTSD 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
- Further studies are needed to determine the optimal treatment approach for individuals with PTSD, including those under ongoing threat of reexposure 6.
- The development of more detailed recommendations for the targeted treatment of nightmares in PTSD is also an area for future research 3.