Two-year follow-up of a brief dyadic cognitive-behavioral intervention designed to prevent PTSD

Abstract

Recent evidence suggests that individual psychological debriefing is not effective in prevention of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study evaluated the long-term effectiveness of a two-session cognitive-behavioral dyadic secondary prevention intervention for PTSD delivered by a social worker or a nurse at the emergency department of a hospital. Forty-six recently traumatized men and women - mostly motor-vehicle accident victims - were randomized to either an assessment-only group (n = 20) or the intervention group (n = 26). Among study completers, a significant time-by-group interaction was observed, whereas a sharper mean decrease in self-reported PTSD symptoms (Impact of Event Scale - Revised) was observed in the treated group, going from 34.52 (SD = 19.15) at baseline to 11.19 (15.39) at 2-year follow-up, compared with the control group, which went from 37.82 (16.85) to 23.00 (19.87), F(3, 46) = 4.11, p =.008. At follow-up, no treated participant met criteria for PTSD, compared with five among the control group. From a public health perspective, the occurrence and severity of PTSD could be reduced if this new, easy-to-deliver intervention was offered as part of regular care in the hospital setting. © 2012 American Psychological Association.