Skip to main content
Journal cover image

The impact of prolonged exposure therapy on social support and PTSD symptoms.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Bourassa, KJ; Smolenski, DJ; Edwards-Stewart, A; Campbell, SB; Reger, GM; Norr, AM
Published in: Journal of affective disorders
January 2020

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) results in high costs to society, particularly among military personnel. Much is known about PTSD treatments-such as exposure therapies-and their outcomes, but less is known about how treatment might impact social support and PTSD symptoms over the course of treatment.In the current study, soldiers with PTSD (N = 162) were randomized to complete prolonged exposure therapy (either with or without virtual reality) or a waitlist control condition. We examined the impact of treatment on perceived social support as a secondary treatment outcome, as well as the associations between social support and PTSD symptoms over time.Exposure therapy increased perceived social support at the end of treatment compared to waitlist control, β = 0.43, 95% CI [0.13, 0.73]. Multigroup structural equation modeling using a cross-lagged panel design provided evidence that perceived social support was an antecedent of PTSD symptom improvement for participants engaging in treatment, but not for participants in the waitlist control. Treatment effects on change in PTSD symptoms was mediated by change in perceived social support (B = 1.10, 95% CI [0.20, 3.05]).The results should be considered in light of limitations, including the characteristics of the sample of active duty soldiers, the measurement of social support, and missingess over the course of the study.These results suggest that increased perceived social support is a secondary outcome of exposure therapy and may be one pathway through which treatment reduces PTSD symptoms.

Duke Scholars

Altmetric Attention Stats
Dimensions Citation Stats

Published In

Journal of affective disorders

DOI

EISSN

1573-2517

ISSN

0165-0327

Publication Date

January 2020

Volume

260

Start / End Page

410 / 417

Related Subject Headings

  • Waiting Lists
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
  • Social Support
  • Psychiatry
  • Military Personnel
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Implosive Therapy
  • Humans
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Bourassa, K. J., Smolenski, D. J., Edwards-Stewart, A., Campbell, S. B., Reger, G. M., & Norr, A. M. (2020). The impact of prolonged exposure therapy on social support and PTSD symptoms. Journal of Affective Disorders, 260, 410–417. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2019.09.036
Bourassa, K. J., D. J. Smolenski, A. Edwards-Stewart, S. B. Campbell, G. M. Reger, and A. M. Norr. “The impact of prolonged exposure therapy on social support and PTSD symptoms.Journal of Affective Disorders 260 (January 2020): 410–17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2019.09.036.
Bourassa KJ, Smolenski DJ, Edwards-Stewart A, Campbell SB, Reger GM, Norr AM. The impact of prolonged exposure therapy on social support and PTSD symptoms. Journal of affective disorders. 2020 Jan;260:410–7.
Bourassa, K. J., et al. “The impact of prolonged exposure therapy on social support and PTSD symptoms.Journal of Affective Disorders, vol. 260, Jan. 2020, pp. 410–17. Epmc, doi:10.1016/j.jad.2019.09.036.
Bourassa KJ, Smolenski DJ, Edwards-Stewart A, Campbell SB, Reger GM, Norr AM. The impact of prolonged exposure therapy on social support and PTSD symptoms. Journal of affective disorders. 2020 Jan;260:410–417.
Journal cover image

Published In

Journal of affective disorders

DOI

EISSN

1573-2517

ISSN

0165-0327

Publication Date

January 2020

Volume

260

Start / End Page

410 / 417

Related Subject Headings

  • Waiting Lists
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
  • Social Support
  • Psychiatry
  • Military Personnel
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Implosive Therapy
  • Humans