Emotional processing and outcome of imaginal flooding therapy in vietnam veterans with chronic posttraumatic stress disorder
Abstract
This study examined emotional processing and outcome in 20 Vietnam veterans with chronic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who underwent imaginal flooding therapy. Results supported the occurrence of emotional processing, as manifest in significant activation, within-session habituation, and partial across-session habituation of physiologic and self-reported process variables. The flooding therapy produced only modest overall improvement, which was statistically significant for avoidance symptomatology measured by the impact of Events Scale (IOES) and number of intrusions per day recorded by the subject in a log. Symptomatic improvement appeared to generalize from a treated to an untreated experience. Heart rate activation during the first flooding session predicted a decrease in daily number of intrusive combat memories across the therapy. Otherwise, there was little association between extent of emotional processing and therapeutic outcome. The results provide limited support for the notion that mobilization of psychophysiologic arousal during exposure therapy predicts improvement.
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Activation of fear has been positively related to treatment outcome in some studies.
“Activation of fear has shown to be positively related to treatment outcome in some studies (e.g., Foa, Riggs, Massie, & Yarczower, 1995; Pitman, Orr, Altman, & Longpre, 1996)”
From Does change in distress matter? Mechanisms of change in prolonged exposure for PTSD (2014) · cites this paper as Pitman, Orr, Altman, & Longpre, 1996
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Does change in distress matter? Mechanisms of change in prolonged exposure for PTSD
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- Authors
- Pitman, R. K., Orr, S. P., Altman, B., Longpre, R. E., Poiré, R. E., Macklin, M. L., Michaels, M. J., & Steketee, G. S.
- Affiliations
- Boston University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Pitman, Roger K
- Venue
- Comprehensive Psychiatry
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 1996-11
- Volume
- 37
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 409-418
- ISSN
- 0010-440X (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2011447821
- Cited by
- 141
- References
- 2
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 6
- FWCI
- 3.15
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Comprehensive Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health (5r01mh042872-05)
- National Institute of Mental Health (R01MH42872)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychoanalysis and Psychopathology Research
- Keywords
- exposure therapy, post-traumatic stress disorder, Vietnam War veterans, emotional processing, habituation, avoidance symptoms, intrusive memories, treatment outcomes
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Analysis of Variance, Chronic Disease, Cognition, Emotions, Habituation, Psychophysiologic, Heart Rate, Humans, Implosive Therapy, Male, Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, United States, Veterans, Vietnam, Warfare, Imagery, Psychotherapy
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