VA Agrees with Key Points about PTSD Treatment

[CAS3]

VA Agrees with Key Points about PTSD Treatment
In New Institute of Medicine Report
WASHINGTON (October 18, 2007) - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
today agreed with a new Institute of Medicine (IOM) report finding
exposure-based therapies for the treatment of post-traumatic stress
disorder (PTSD) to be effective.

The report released today by the IOM Committee on Treatment of PTSD
concluded among its key findings that exposure-based therapies such as
prolonged exposure therapy and cognitive processing therapy have proven
to be effective treatments for PTSD, while more research is needed on
pharmacotherapy to determine its effectiveness.

"VA is pleased to see IOM agrees with us that exposure-based therapies
are effective treatments for PTSD," said Dr. Antonette Zeiss, VA's
Deputy Chief of Mental Health Services. "VA has been making the
therapies readily available, even before the IOM report was released."

Prolonged exposure therapy utilizes techniques to promote confrontation
with feared objects, situations, memories and images. It involves use
of psychoeducation, breathing retraining, prolonged exposure to the
memory of the trauma through imaginary reliving, and repeated exposure
to safe situations being avoided because of traumatic fear.

Cognitive process therapy involves psychoeducation; written exposure in
which patients write about the impact of trauma on themselves and others
and interpret traumatic events; challenging patient's interpretations of
traumatic events and cognitive restructuring of their beliefs that have
been disrupted by traumatic events.

Dr. Zeiss said VA began developing training about a year ago for its
mental health professionals in the use of exposure-based therapies,
starting with cognitive processing therapy and now including prolonged
exposure therapy.

In fact, VA's Dr. Patricia Resick, head of the Women's Division of the
National Center for PTSD in Boston, is a leading researcher in cognitive
processing therapy. And the leading researcher in prolonged exposure
therapy is Dr. Edna Foa, who helps train VA mental health professionals.

Dr. Zeiss said VA also concurs with other key conclusions of the report
that more research is needed about pharmacotherapy as an effective
treatment. It is important to note, Dr. Zeiss said, the IOM conclusion
states only more research is needed, not that medications have been
found to be ineffective.

VA provides treatment for PTSD through cognitive and exposure-based
therapies, with the use of drugs approved by the Food and Drug
Administration.

VA is a recognized international leader in treatment and research for
PTSD. In 1989, the Department created the National Center for PTSD,
which promotes research, trains health care professionals and serves as
an information resource for researchers and clinicians around the world.

[FistFu68]

MIND ALTERING DRUG'S,SHOULD BE TESTED ON TERRORIST;NOT VETERAN'S OF THE UNITED STATES MILITARY!!!