Imaginal exposure therapy underutilized by mental health professionals

This research brief summarizes a study conducted by van Minnen, A., Hendriks, L. & Olff, M. (2010): When do trauma experts choose exposure therapy for PTSD patients? A controlled study of therapist and patient factors (Behavior Research and Therapy, 48 (4), 312-320. Key Findings: When trauma experts presented with four hypothetical cases of patients with PTSD were asked to choose among four treatment plans, imaginal exposure (IE) was an underutilized choice. The treatment most preferred for each PTSD case was eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. In patients with co-morbid depression, IE was less frequently preferred than medication. However, IE was more likely to be suggested if patients requested trauma-focused treatment than if such a request was not made, but IE still was chosen less often than EMDR in this case. Most therapists were also found to be undertrained in IE.

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US Navy, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED)

US Navy, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED). (2010, Summer). Imaginal exposure therapy underutilized by mental health professionals. Combat and Operational Stress Research Quarterly, 2(3), 7. doi:10.1037/e717662011-018