title: A pilot study of behavioral activation for veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder.
abstract: A pilot study was conducted to investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of behavioral activation (BA) therapy for veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Eleven veterans seeking treatment at a Veterans Administration outpatient PTSD clinic were enrolled in the study protocol, consisting of 16-weekly individual sessions of BA. Nine veterans completed the protocol, one participant completed 15 sessions, and one dropped out after one session. Clinician-rated PTSD symptom severity showed significant pre- to posttreatment improvement and was associated with a moderate effect size. A number of participants also were improved on measures of depression and quality of life, but changes did not reach statistical significance. Findings suggest that BA is a well-tolerated, potentially beneficial intervention for veterans with chronic symptoms of PTSD.
authors.affiliation: Seattle VA Puget Sound Health Care System, WA, USA. Matthew.Jakupcak@med.va.gov
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jakupcak
authors.forename: Lisa J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martell
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mulick
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Michael
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Reed
authors.forename: Kimberly F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Balsam
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yoshimoto
authors.forename: Miles
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: McFall
mesh_terms: D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011788:Quality of Life; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D014481:United States; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology*