Memory Reconsolidation Therapy for Police Officers with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
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Description
Police officers are frequently exposed to traumatic events and therefore are at elevated risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental health conditions. While evidence-based treatments for PTSD such as prolonged exposure therapy demonstrate effectiveness, residual symptoms and relapse remain problematic outcomes. Improvements in outcomes may be enhanced by modifying psychotherapy processes based upon recent neuroscientific findings. The present study explored incorporating memory reconsolidation principles into evidence-based exposure therapy for PTSD to create memory reconsolidation therapy (MRT). MRT incorporates memory recall followed by a wait period to make memories liable for modification. Using a case series design, three police officers diagnosed with PTSD participated in a maximum of twelve 90-min sessions of MRT and recorded weekly self-report measures of trauma symptoms and psychological distress. Results indicated participants experienced significantly reduced psychological distress with gains maintained over a 3-month follow-up. A significant reliable reduction in trauma symptoms by post-therapy was identified in two of the three cases with the third narrowly missing the clinically significant cut-off. These significant changes were maintained over the 3-month follow-up in one participant, while the maintenance of these improvements in trauma symptoms approached significance in the other two participants. These findings provide preliminary evidence to justify larger future studies to test the efficacy of MRT with police officers experiencing PTSD.
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ID Code: | 136807 | ||
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Item Type: | Contribution to Journal (Journal Article) | ||
Refereed: | Yes | ||
ORCID iD: |
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Measurements or Duration: | 12 pages | ||
Keywords: | Memory reconsolidation, Police, Post-traumatic stress disorder, Psychological distress, Trauma | ||
DOI: | 10.1007/s11896-020-09363-5 | ||
ISSN: | 0882-0783 | ||
Pure ID: | 43072775 | ||
Divisions: | Current > QUT Faculties and Divisions > Faculty of Health Current > Schools > School of Psychology & Counselling |
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Copyright Owner: | 2020 Springer Nature | ||
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Deposited On: | 31 Jan 2020 18:51 | ||
Last Modified: | 24 May 2024 20:28 |
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