Study on internet-mediated CBT in Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) published in Lancet Psychiatry
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric diagnosis that affects about 5-10% of the population. PTSD occurs as a result of experiencing – or witnessing – severe, life-threatening and traumatic events, such as abuse, war, accidents and mistreatment.
Common symptoms include reliving the trauma, overexcitement, avoidance and emotional and cognitive consequences, such as depression and difficulty concentrating. Psychological treatment in the form of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been shown to have good effects in PTSD, but access to care is limited and varies between different places.
In a large-scale randomized controlled trial, researchers from the UK and Sweden - represented by Alexander Rozental from the Centre for Psychiatry Research - have shown that internet-mediated CBT can provide results that are in line with conventional face-to-face care. The article, which was recently published in the world's finest psychiatric journal, Lancet Psychiatry, also shows that the time required for therapists is greatly reduced, which could mean that more patients can be treated and have access to the right help.
Read the full article here