An intensive outpatient treatment program for combat-related PTSD: Trauma management therapy

An estimated 18.5% of veterans returning from Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation New Dawn are suffering from posttraumatic stress or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The number of veterans and service duty personnel requesting VA health care services is increasing, and the VA's ability to handle requests is dwindling. Thus, both the content of interventions and the format by which these services are delivered need to be reconceptualized. The authors present a multicomponent intervention program known as Trauma Management Therapy (TMT), a comprehensive, empirically supported treatment that can be delivered in an intensive, 3-week outpatient format. TMT combines individual exposure therapy with group social and emotional rehabilitation skills training to address specific aspects of the combat-related PTSD syndrome. The authors present the format of this novel intensive outpatient program, describe the components, and address implementation factors such as treatment compliance, dropout rates, and administrative considerations.