Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

AbstractThis chapter provides an overview of cognitive behavioral therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder. The current diagnostic criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder are presented along with a brief discussion of expected changes to be implemented in the upcomingDSM‐5. The primary goal of the chapter is to outline the cognitive behavioral conceptualization of posttraumatic stress disorder and to illustrate how this has informed current treatments. Emotional processing and social cognitive theories are discussed, and treatments with significant empirical support are reviewed, including prolonged exposure therapy, virtual reality exposure therapy, cognitive processing therapy, stress inoculation treatment, and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy. In addition, some emerging treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder are presented, including mindfulness, couples and family interventions, and interpersonal therapy. The inclusion of pharmacological interventions is briefly discussed, including the augmentation of exposure therapy with D‐cycloserine.