title: The impact of sudden gains in cognitive behavioral therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder.
abstract: This study investigated sudden gains, i.e., rapid and stable improvements, in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms that may occur in cognitive-behavioral therapy. Twenty-nine of 72 participants (39.2%) experienced a sudden gain during treatment. Mixed model ANOVAs analyzed sudden gains impact on clinician-rated PTSD symptom severity, patient-rated PTSD symptom severity, and patient-rated depressive symptom severity. Sudden gains in PTSD symptomology were associated with greater reductions in PTSD symptom severity for the avoidance/numbing and hyperarousal symptom clusters at posttreatment. By 6-month follow-up, the sudden gains group had maintained those reductions in symptoms, but the nonsudden gains group had achieved equal reductions in symptom severity. Participants experiencing sudden gains on PTSD measures had lower depression severity at posttreatment and follow-up.
authors.affiliation: Women's Health Sciences Division, National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA 02130, USA.
authors.forename: Kacie A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.forename: Shireen L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Rizvi
authors.forename: Candice M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Monson
authors.forename: Patricia A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Resick
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome