Treatment for Women With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Related to Childhood Abuse

PTSD is a debilitating and often chronic anxiety disorder with serious psychiatric comorbidity. The most common trauma associated with PTSD among women is childhood abuse. PTSD related to childhood abuse may cause problems with emotion regulation and interpersonal functioning. This study will address three domains of PTSD related to childhood abuse: emotion management problems, interpersonal problems, and PTSD symptoms.

Participants in this study will be randomly assigned to 16 sessions of one of three treatments: Skills Training for Affective and Interpersonal Regulation (STAIR), which focuses on helping individuals strengthen and build skills in managing feelings and improving interpersonal relationships; Modified Prolonged Exposure (MPE), which focuses on developing narratives of abuse history and completing an "emotional processing" of the trauma in a safe environment; and a combination of STAIR and MPE. Dropout rates and adverse effects will be measured.

Inclusion criteria

• DSM-IV criteria for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder related to childhood physical and/or sexual abuse by a care-giver
• At least one clear memory of the abuse
• Willing to have all assessments tape recorded and sessions video taped
• Willing to maintain any concurrent treatments for the duration of the study

Exclusion criteria

• Bipolar Disorder
• Eating Disorder
• Borderline Personality Disorder
• Active substance abuse or dependence
• Living with the abuser
• Self mutilation
• Pregnancy