Clinician’s Corner: Using Technology to Increase Reach of Exposure Therapy – Carmen P. McLean, PhD

by ISTSS Blogs | Jul 28, 2022 | Clinical Issues and Treatment, StressPoints

The public health impact of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatment is a function of efficacy and reach. Existing evidence-based treatments for PTSD such as exposure therapy are relatively high on the efficacy side of the equation but have very limited reach to...

PTSD symptoms or number of life stressors: which is worse for cognitive performance? – Prieto, Moody, Valerio, & Hayes

by ISTSS Blogs | Jul 9, 2022 | Clinical Issues and Treatment, JOTS Highlights

What we know   Prior work has demonstrated that chronic stress is associated with cognitive dysfunction in the context of aging (Zuelsdorff et al., 2013). Long-term activation of the stress-response system and the subsequent overexposure of cortisol that follows...

Applying Behavioral Economics to Our Understanding of PTSD – Olin, McDevitt-Murphy, Murphy, Zakarian, Roache, Young-McCaughan, Litz, Keane, & Peterson

by ISTSS Blogs | Jul 1, 2022 | Clinical Issues and Treatment, JOTS Highlights

As humans, we tend to seek and prefer simple explanations for our own behavior. Human behavior, however, rarely fits simple, linear patterns. If it did, many of us in psychological science would be out of a job. Behavioral economics is a metatheory that combines...

How does cannabis use relate to psychiatric problems, everyday functioning, and treatment engagement in U.S. military veterans with PTSD symptoms? – Melanie L. Hill, Ph.D., Sonya B. Norman, Ph.D., & Robert H. Pietrzak, Ph.D., M.P.H.

by ISTSS Blogs | Jun 17, 2022 | Clinical Issues and Treatment, JOTS Highlights

What we know   Use of cannabis products among American adults has risen substantially over the past two decades (Hasin et al., 2015), and Americans increasingly perceive cannabis use to be safe (Compton et al., 2016). Along with these changes, states have passed...

Meta-analysis finds lower dropout rates for twice-weekly Prolonged Exposure therapy – Tate Halverson, PhD

by ISTSS Blogs | Jun 3, 2022 | Clinical Issues and Treatment, JOTS Highlights

Prolonged Exposure (PE) is an evidence-based front-line treatment for PTSD that can suffer from high rates of dropout (e.g., around 50% in some real-world clinical settings; Rutt et al., 2018). Due to high dropout rates, providers of PE therapy can sometimes find...

Clinician’s Corner: Revisiting the Topic of Sexual Boundary Violations by ‎Psychotherapists – Christine A. Courtois, PhD, ABPP

by ISTSS Blogs | May 25, 2022 | Clinical Issues and Treatment, StressPoints

Drs. Arlene (Lu) Steinberg, Judie Alpert, and I recently co-edited a book entitled Sexual Boundary Violations in Psychotherapy: Facing Transgressions, Indiscretions, and Misconduct (2021). The topic has not received much recent attention in the professional...