From the Guidelines
Monthly therapy sessions can be beneficial for preventing mild PTSD flare-ups, as they provide regular support and skill reinforcement, according to the 2023 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and U.S. Department of Defense clinical practice guideline 1. When considering the management of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), it's essential to prioritize evidence-based therapies, such as Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Prolonged Exposure (PE), and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) psychotherapy, as recommended by the guideline 1. Some key points to consider:
- The guideline recommends the use of specific manualized psychotherapies over pharmacotherapy for PTSD treatment 1.
- Secure video teleconferencing can be used to deliver recommended psychotherapy when validated for use with video teleconferencing or when other options are unavailable 1.
- Providers are encouraged to use this guideline to support evidence-based, patient-centered care and shared decision making to optimize individuals' health outcomes and quality of life 1. For individuals with mild PTSD, monthly therapy sessions can help prevent flare-ups by:
- Providing regular support and skill reinforcement
- Allowing individuals to practice coping skills and process new triggers
- Enabling adjustments to strategies before symptoms worsen Between sessions, daily self-care practices are crucial, including:
- Regular exercise
- Adequate sleep
- Stress management techniques, such as deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, or mindfulness meditation for 10-15 minutes daily
- Maintaining social connections If symptoms worsen between monthly sessions, it's essential to schedule additional appointments or use crisis resources when needed.
From the Research
Therapy Sessions for Preventing Mild PTSD Flare
- The effectiveness of monthly therapy sessions in preventing mild PTSD flare-ups is not directly addressed in the provided studies, but some insights can be gained from the available evidence:
- A study published in 2020 2 found that certain psychological interventions, such as eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) and trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT), can be effective in reducing PTSD symptoms.
- Another study from 2019 3 suggested that multiple session early psychological interventions may be more effective than usual care in reducing PTSD diagnosis at three to six months' follow-up, but the certainty of the evidence was low due to the high risk of bias in the included trials.
- A 2013 review 4 found that brief trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy may reduce PTSD symptom severity in people with acute stress disorder, and collaborative care may help decrease symptom severity post-injury.
- A 2019 systematic review and meta-analysis 5 compared trauma-focused psychotherapies and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) for treating PTSD in adults, but found insufficient evidence to determine which approach is more effective.
- An earlier review from 2009 6 found no evidence supporting the efficacy of multiple session early psychological interventions in preventing PTSD, and suggested that such interventions may even have an adverse effect on some individuals.
Key Findings
- The available evidence suggests that certain psychological interventions, such as EMDR and TF-CBT, may be effective in reducing PTSD symptoms.
- Multiple session early psychological interventions may be more effective than usual care in reducing PTSD diagnosis, but the certainty of the evidence is low.
- The effectiveness of monthly therapy sessions in preventing mild PTSD flare-ups is not directly addressed in the provided studies, and more research is needed to determine the optimal frequency and type of therapy for preventing PTSD flare-ups.