Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Acute Stress Disorder II: Considerations for Treatment and Prevention.

Posttraumatic stress disorder is a common and often chronic and disabling anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to highly stressful events characterized by actual or threatened harm to the self or others. This is the second of two invited articles summarizing the nature and treatment of PTSD and the associated condition of acute stress disorder (ASD). The present article reviews evidence for the efficacy of psychological and pharmacological treatments for PTSD and ASD. In summary, cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) has been found efficacious in the treatment of chronic PTSD as well as the treatment of ASD/prevention of PTSD. The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, sertraline, paroxetine, and fluoxetine, have been found efficacious in the treatment of chronic PTSD, with sertraline and paroxetine receiving the FDA indication for this condition. There is less evidence for efficacious medications in the treatment of ASD/prevention of PTSD. At present, hydrocortisone and propranolol show the greatest promise. Limitations of these treatments, including dropout and a significant number of patients showing no or only partial response, are discussed as well as issues related to selecting among efficacious treatments.