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Implementing Cognitive Processing Therapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder With Active Duty U.S. Military Personnel: Special Considerations and Case Examples

Publication ,  Journal Article
Wachen, JS; Dondanville, KA; Pruiksma, KE; Molino, A; Carson, CS; Blankenship, AE; Wilkinson, C; Yarvis, COLJS; Resick, PA
Published in: Cognitive and Behavioral Practice
December 31, 2014

Numerous studies and reports document the prevalence of combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in military personnel returning from deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. The Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense recommend cognitive processing therapy (CPT) as one of two first-line treatment options for patients with PTSD. CPT is an evidence-based, trauma-focused cognitive treatment for PTSD that has been shown to be efficacious in a wide variety of populations, but has just begun to be implemented with active duty military. The purpose of this article is to describe treatment considerations that may be pertinent to active duty populations, including stigma related to mental health treatment and minimization of symptoms, duty obligations, and special factors related to rank and occupational specialties. We provide recommendations for navigating these issues within the CPT protocol. Additionally, we discuss common themes that may be especially relevant when conducting CPT with an active duty military population, including blame/responsibility, the military ethos, erroneous blame of others, just-world beliefs, traumatic loss, fear of harming others, and moral injury. Case examples illustrating the use of CPT to address these themes are provided.

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Published In

Cognitive and Behavioral Practice

DOI

EISSN

1878-187X

ISSN

1077-7229

Publication Date

December 31, 2014

Volume

23

Issue

2

Start / End Page

133 / 147

Related Subject Headings

  • Clinical Psychology
  • 5204 Cognitive and computational psychology
  • 5203 Clinical and health psychology
  • 5201 Applied and developmental psychology
  • 1702 Cognitive Sciences
  • 1701 Psychology
 

Citation

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Wachen, J. S., Dondanville, K. A., Pruiksma, K. E., Molino, A., Carson, C. S., Blankenship, A. E., … Resick, P. A. (2014). Implementing Cognitive Processing Therapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder With Active Duty U.S. Military Personnel: Special Considerations and Case Examples. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 23(2), 133–147. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpra.2015.08.007
Wachen, J. S., K. A. Dondanville, K. E. Pruiksma, A. Molino, C. S. Carson, A. E. Blankenship, C. Wilkinson, C. O. L. J. S. Yarvis, and P. A. Resick. “Implementing Cognitive Processing Therapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder With Active Duty U.S. Military Personnel: Special Considerations and Case Examples.” Cognitive and Behavioral Practice 23, no. 2 (December 31, 2014): 133–47. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpra.2015.08.007.
Wachen JS, Dondanville KA, Pruiksma KE, Molino A, Carson CS, Blankenship AE, et al. Implementing Cognitive Processing Therapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder With Active Duty U.S. Military Personnel: Special Considerations and Case Examples. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice. 2014 Dec 31;23(2):133–47.
Wachen, J. S., et al. “Implementing Cognitive Processing Therapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder With Active Duty U.S. Military Personnel: Special Considerations and Case Examples.” Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, vol. 23, no. 2, Dec. 2014, pp. 133–47. Scopus, doi:10.1016/j.cbpra.2015.08.007.
Wachen JS, Dondanville KA, Pruiksma KE, Molino A, Carson CS, Blankenship AE, Wilkinson C, Yarvis COLJS, Resick PA. Implementing Cognitive Processing Therapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder With Active Duty U.S. Military Personnel: Special Considerations and Case Examples. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice. 2014 Dec 31;23(2):133–147.

Published In

Cognitive and Behavioral Practice

DOI

EISSN

1878-187X

ISSN

1077-7229

Publication Date

December 31, 2014

Volume

23

Issue

2

Start / End Page

133 / 147

Related Subject Headings

  • Clinical Psychology
  • 5204 Cognitive and computational psychology
  • 5203 Clinical and health psychology
  • 5201 Applied and developmental psychology
  • 1702 Cognitive Sciences
  • 1701 Psychology