What Predicts the Acceptability of Exposure Therapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in the General Public?

Abstract

Introduction: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can develop after a person experiences severe trauma which can occur in many ways. Randomized controlled trials of exposure therapy (ET) have repeatedly documented this therapy as the most effective treatment for PTSD. Yet despite this evidence, ET is sought less by PTSD patients and used less often by mental health care professionals to treat PTSD compared to other types of less effective treatments. Method: Two hundred and three U.S. adults in the general public between the ages of 19-73 years completed a confidential, online survey via Amazon MTurk. Participants rated the appropriateness of three different types of PTSD treatments including alternative therapies, medication and ET for both men and women in different trauma examples. Half of the survey participants were randomly provided with information on the effectiveness of ET in the treatment of PTSD compared to the other two less effective treatment types. Correlation analysis assessed the relationship between ET’s appropriateness rating by trauma type, patient gender, and knowledge of ET’s clinical effectiveness compared to the other two forms of treatment. Results: Knowledge of ET’s clinical effectiveness and gender of the trauma victim did not have significant effects on ET’s appropriateness rating for treating PTSD among participant groups. Conclusions: Results of this study suggest that the perception of ET as an appropriate treatment for PTSD is negative, especially for certain forms of trauma such as rape. These findings may provide some insight into why ET is used less often than it should be to treat PTSD most effectively.