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Cognitive, affective, and behavioral changes following prolonged exposure therapy
Author(s)
Date Issued
2013
Citation
Tang, S. K., Ho, R., & Mak, A. (23-25 Aug 2013). Cognitive, affective, and behavioral changes following prolonged exposure therapy. 4th Asian Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) Conference, Tokyo-Heisei University, Tokyo, Japan.
Type
Conference Paper
Abstract
There is increasingly high worldwide incidence of crimes, accidents, natural and human-made
disasters, interpersonal violence, wars, and terrorism, Current research has documented that individuals
who have experienced trauma and life adversities are at increased risks for physical and mental health
disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in particular. Hence, there is a need to develop
psychological treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that are both efficacious and
applicable to the broadest range of trauma survivors. Although existing trauma-focused cognitive
behavior therapy (CBT) has proven efficacious in reducing PTSD symptoms, this approach is limited
by treatment drop-out and non-compliance. The potential distressing component of trauma-focused
CBT is exposure to traumatic memories and feared situations, which may be responsible for premature
termination, non-compliance, and sometimes symptom exacerbation prior to improvement. Furthermore, the majority of life adversity research was conducted in Western nations. There are also challenges to prevailing psychological theories and intervention approaches, which seldom examine the role of culture on adjustment following critical life events. This study marks a major step required in the
field of psychological treatment of PTSD in Asia. In accord with international trends to increase treatment effectiveness in techniques that have proven efficacy, this study will evaluate the most promising avenue that overcomes the potential distressing aspects of exposure and at the same time maintains the effective ingredients of thes proven CBT intervention.
It adopts strict methodological rigor to evaluate the effectiveness of modifications to traditional exposurebased therapy that strategically address major causes for treatment intolerance and drop-out. This presentation will summarize cognitive, affective, and behavioral changes of Singaporeans who reported traumatic stress symptoms and who had been provided with 8 to 12 weeks of prolonged exposure therapy. Comprehensive assessments on neurocognitive, emotional, and behavioral changes were conducted at pre-treatment, post-treatment, and 6-month follow-up. Preliminary data indicated that the participants reported significant improvement in their trauma symptoms and cognitions, moderate improvement in anxiety and depression symptoms as well as specific areas of cognitive functioning. Limitations of the study and difficulties in providing CBT and conducting therapy outcome studies in the Asian contexts will also be discussed.
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