Massed vs Intensive Outpatient Prolonged Exposure for Combat-Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Key Points Question Can an intensive outpatient format of prolonged exposure therapy result in larger PTSD reductions than massed outpatient format prolonged exposure therapy? Findings In this randomized clinical trial involving 234 military personnel and veterans treated with massed or intensive outpatient formats of prolonged exposure therapy, 61% achieved clinically significant reductions in clinician-assessed PTSD symptoms and 74% had self-reported PTSD symptom reductions at the 1-month follow-up assessment. There were no significant differences between the treatment groups, and in both, more than 50% of participants maintained PTSD diagnostic remission at the 6-month follow-up. Meaning These findings suggest that both massed and intensive outpatient forms of prolonged exposure therapy are fast and effective for combat-related PTSD.