An open trial of exposure therapy based on deconditioning for post-traumatic stress disorder

Abstract

Twenty‐three patients who had experienced a major stressful event were given a debriefing session followed by eight weekly sessions of imaginal exposure and in vivo exposure. Patients recounted their traumatic experiences aloud, using the first person and the present tense, and included as much detail as possible. This account was audiotaped and patients were asked to listen to the tape between treatment sessions. There were reductions of 42 per cent in the Impact of Events Scale (IES), of 61 per cent in the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), of 38 per cent in the Symptom Checklist‐90 (SCL‐90) questionnaire, and of 35 per cent in the Clinician Administered Post‐Traumatic Stress scale (CAPS), all of which were statistically significant. The number of patients who satisfied the diagnostic criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder was halved.