Prolonged Exposure Therapy for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Following Sexual Assault

PE is a brief cognitive behavioral therapy that can ameliorate symptoms of PTSD, depression,
and anxiety in survivors of various types of trauma. PE has been successfully implemented by
counselors at a community rape crisis clinic (Women Organized Against Rape [WOAR]) who
received extensive training and weekly supervision from PE experts. Such extensive expert
involvement is not a practical model for long-term clinical practice in a community-based
clinic. Therefore, Part 1 of this study will examine whether counselors at WOAR can maintain
their PE implementation success with reduced expert involvement. In Part 2 of this study, PE
will be implemented by counselors at another community clinic (Joseph J. Peters Institute
[JJPI]) to examine its effectiveness in treating PTSD and to determine the generalizability
of training procedures.

Participants in this study are randomly assigned to either PE or to individual and group
therapy. Treatment sessions are conducted weekly for 10 to 20 weeks, based on participants'
rates of improvement. Participants are assessed before treatment, after 10 weeks, and again
in the follow-up phase at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months post-treatment.

Inclusion Criteria:

- DSM-IV criteria for PTSD at least 12 weeks after sexual assault

- PTSD symptoms that result from sexual assault and not from another traumatic
experience

Exclusion Criteria:

- DSM-IV criteria for schizophrenia or delusional disorder

- Unstable bipolar disorder, depression with psychotic features, or depression severe
enough to require immediate psychiatric treatment. Clients who are medicated and
still meet current criteria for these disorders will be excluded.

- Substance dependence

- Continued intimate relationship with the assailant