Best Practices for Approaching Cognitive Processing Therapy and Prolonged Exposure During the COVID ‐19 Pandemic

AbstractThe COVID ‐19 pandemic presents major challenges for mental health care providers. In particular, providers who treat posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are now tasked with determining whether to initiate trauma‐focused therapy during the pandemic and, if so, whether and how to adapt treatment. The purp ose of this communication is to identify and organize key considerations for whether and how to deliver commonly used evidence‐supported therapy protocols for trauma treatment—specifically, cognitive processing therapy (CPT) and prolonged exposure (PE) therapy—during the ongoing COVID‐19 pan demic for adults who currently meet the criteria for PTSD. Based on relevant public health and clinical literature, we present a structured guide that can be used by treatment teams and individual providers to evaluate whether initiating CPT or PE is indicated given a particular patient–provider p air and system context amidst pandemic conditions. In addition, we suggest appropriate action steps, including problem‐solving strategies, evidence‐informed modifications to CPT and PE, and alternative intervention approaches.

Source: Journal of Traumatic Stress - August 30, 2020 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Sarah L. Hagerty, Joseph Wielgosz, Jaclyn Kraemer, Hong V. Nguyen, Dorene Loew, Debra Kaysen Tags: Special Article Source Type: research