Long-term course of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in German soldiers: effects of inpatient eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy and specific trauma characteristics in patients with non-combat-related PTSD.
OBJECTIVE
In this study, we retrospectively evaluated a patient population of 89 German soldiers who received inpatient treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder at the German Armed Forces Hospital in Hamburg from 1998 to 2003.


METHODS
Patients were nonrandomly assigned to a treatment group who received eye movement desensitization and reprocessing and a comparison group with general hospital treatment and relaxation training. Follow-up information was obtained 29 months post-treatment. Trauma-related symptoms were assessed using the Impact of Event Scale and the Post-Traumatic Stress Scale (PTSS-10) as parameters of improvement.


RESULTS
The Impact of Event Scale showed that inpatient trauma therapy with eye movement desensitization and reprocessing significantly improved the course of post-traumatic stress disorder. In addition, the Impact of Event Scale indicated a significantly poorer long-term outcome for patients who had been confronted with death during their traumatic experience. Other factors tested were of no significant influence.


CONCLUSIONS
These results may influence further treatment strategies for traumatized German soldiers.
Zimmermann
Peter
P
Medical Corps, German Armed Forces, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Army Hospital Berlin, Scharnhorststrasse 13, D-10825 Berlin, Germany.
Biesold
Karl Heinz
KH
Barre
Klaus
K
Lanczik
Mario
M
D000328:Adult; D003887:Desensitization, Psychologic; D005133:Eye Movements / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D008890:Military Psychiatry; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome