Summary of Studies in the PTSD Repository
- Least stringent: When a treatment is compared to an inactive control, such as a waitlist or a placebo, a positive result means the treatment is better than no treatment. However, it does not mean that the unique aspects of the treatment are effective. The result may be due to non-specific effects such as natural recovery, treatment expectancy, or the therapeutic relationship/attention.
- More stringent: When a treatment is compared to an active control, such as supportive psychotherapy, a positive result means that the treatment is providing something over and above the non-specific effects of therapy.
- Most stringent: In comparative effectiveness studies, two or more active treatments are compared. Depending on the study design, these studies might be examining specific components of a treatment, whether one treatment is superior to another treatment, or even if two treatments are equivalent or not inferior to each other.
For information to help you decide amongst the best-studied treatments for PTSD, please see the PTSD Treatment Decision Aid