Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Critical Review of the Evidence.

Importance: Extensively researched, exposure-focused therapies have dominated the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). No treatment benefits all patients. Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT), a nonexposure, affect-focused treatment, has emerged over 2 decades as an alternative evidence-based PTSD intervention.Objective: This narrative review critically assesses IPT outcomes for PTSD. Time limited IPT focuses on affect toleration and the interpersonal consequences of trauma rather than on reconstructing the trauma narrative and exposure to traumatic cues.Evidence Review: The author searched the outcome literature on IPT for adults with syndromal PTSD and drew upon personal involvement in studies since 2001. Subsyndromal PTSD studies and 1 adolescent trial were excluded.Findings: Thirteen published studies of IPT targeted PTSD in individual and group formats for 592 civilians (n = 8, 6 randomized controlled trials [RCTs]) and 187 military veterans (n = 5, 1 RCT). Some trials had methodological limitations. IPT surpassed outcomes of waiting lists and other weak controls and was noninferior to evidence-based PTSD treatments including Prolonged Exposure (n = 2) and sertraline (n = 1). Depression and other outcomes improved. The RCTs demonstrate IPT efficacy for PTSD and allow preliminary exploration of outcome mediators and moderators and differential therapeutics.Conclusion: While the number of studies remains limited, research by multiple investigators in differing populations supports the efficacy of IPT as a non trauma-focused PTSD treatment and justifies its inclusion in PTSD treatment guidelines. More research is necessary to determine how IPT compares to exposure-focused treatments in patient preference, attrition, and response for PTSD comorbid with major depression or due to sexual trauma.

Randomized controlled trial of two internet-based written therapies for world trade center workers and survivors with persistent PTSD symptoms.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) remains prevalent among individuals exposed to the 9/11 World Trade Center (WTC) terrorist attacks. The present study compared an Internet-based, therapist-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD to an active control intervention in WTC survivors and recovery workers with WTC-related PTSD symptoms (n = 105; 75% syndromal PTSD). Participants were randomized to integrative testimonial therapy (ITT), focused on WTC-related trauma, or modified present-centered therapy (I-MPCT), each comprising 11 assigned written narratives. The primary outcome was baseline-to-post-treatment change in PTSD symptoms on the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5). Secondary measures included PTSD symptom clusters, depressive/anxiety symptoms, functioning, and quality of life. A significant main effect of time was observed for the primary outcome (average "large" effect size improvement, d = 1.49). Significant and "moderate-to-large" main effects of time were also observed for all PTSD symptom clusters, depressive symptoms, quality of life, and mental health-related functioning (d range=0.62-1.33). Treatment and treatment-by-time interactions were not significant. In planned secondary analyses incorporating 3-month follow-up measures, ITT was associated with significantly greater reductions than I-MPCT in PTSD avoidance and negative alterations in cognitions and mood, anxiety, and mental health-related functioning. Both therapies significantly lowered PTSD symptoms, suggesting they may benefit hard-to-reach individuals with chronic WTC-related PTSD symptoms.

Comparing brief video interventions to reduce public and self-stigma: Randomized control trial.

AIM: Stigma is a major mental healthcare barrier. This study compares the efficacy of two types of brief video interventions, targeting public and self-stigma, in reducing public stigma towards people living with psychosis. We hypothesized both interventions would similarly reduce public stigma and outperform the control group. As a secondary analysis, we explored the effect of familiarity with a person living with serious mental illness (SMI). METHODS: Participants (N = 1215) aged 18-35 recruited through crowdsourcing were assessed pre- and post-intervention and at 30-day follow-up regarding five public stigma domains: social distance, stereotyping, separateness, social restriction and perceived recovery. Both videos present individual narratives using different approaches: the self-stigma video was created through focus groups, while the public stigma video portrays a single person's journey. RESULTS: A 3 × 3 analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed a significant group-by-time interaction across all five stigma-related domains (p's < .001). Effect sizes (Cohen's d) ranged from 0.29 to 0.52 (baseline to post-intervention), and 0.18 to 0.45 (baseline to 30-day follow-up). The two video interventions did not significantly differ. Linear mixed modelling showed a significant difference between participants familiar and unfamiliar with people living with SMI for the public stigma video, with greater stigma reductions for unfamiliar participants. CONCLUSIONS: This study corroborates previous findings on the positive influence of social contact-based interventions on youth mental health perceptions. Results provide insights into the relationship between public and self-stigma and the impact that familiarity with SMI may have on the efficacy of stigma reduction efforts further validation in diverse groups is needed.

The role of income and emotional engagement in the efficacy of a brief help-seeking video intervention for essential workers.

BACKGROUND: Recently we showed that a brief video-based intervention can improve openness to help-seeking and decrease treatment-related stigma among essential workers, particularly for female and Black individuals viewing demographically matched protagonists. The current randomized controlled trial explored two additional factors which may enhance the efficacy of this intervention: income level, known to be associated with help-seeking, and emotional engagement, which may enhance a person's ability to engage with the intervention. We hypothesized that income level and emotional engagement would correlate with changes in openness to help-seeking ("openness") and stigma. METHODS: Essential workers (N = 1405) randomly viewed a control video or a brief video of an actor portraying an essential worker describing COVID-19-related anxiety and depression and treatment benefits. Openness and stigma were assessed at baseline, post-intervention, and 30-day follow-up, with emotional engagement assessed post-intervention. RESULTS: The brief video intervention demonstrated immediate increases in openness (p < 0.001, Cohen's d = 0.39) and decreases in stigma (p < 0.001, d = 0.14) compared to the control. Reported income level affected neither dependent variable. Participants who scored higher on the emotional engagement scale reported greater change in openness and stigma. LIMITATIONS: Use of a crowdsourcing platform may limit generalizability. CONCLUSIONS: The 3-min video showed modest effect sizes for immediate increased openness and reduced stigma, with greater emotional engagement heightening the effect, suggesting a possible mediator to the intervention. Income level did not affect intervention outcomes. Research should explore the role of income by adding income-related content to the brief-video interventions and assessing whether links to referrals could foster immediate behavioral change. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT04964570.

Randomized Controlled Trial of a Brief Video Intervention to Reduce Self-Stigma of Mental Illness.

Objective: Self-stigma, a phenomenon wherein individuals internalize self-directed negative stereotypes about mental illness, is associated with negative outcomes related to recovery. This randomized controlled study assessed the efficacy of a brief social contact-based video intervention in reducing self-stigma in a large sample of individuals ages 18-35 endorsing an ongoing mental health condition. We hypothesized that the brief video would reduce self-stigma.Methods: In January and February 2023, we recruited and assigned 1,214 participants to a brief video-based intervention depicting a young individual living with mental illness sharing his personal story or to a non-intervention control. In the 2-minute video, informed by focus groups, a young individual described struggles with mental illness symptoms; this was balanced with descriptions of living a meaningful and productive life. Self-stigma assessments (Stereotype Endorsement, Alienation, Stigma Resistance, Perceived Devaluation Discrimination, Secrecy, and Recovery Assessment Scale) were conducted pre- and post-intervention and at 30-day follow-up.Results: A 2 ✕ 3 group-by-time analysis of variance showed that mean self-stigma scores decreased in the intervention arm relative to control across 5 of 6 self-stigma domains: Stereotype Endorsement (P = .006), Alienation (P < .001), Stigma Resistance (P = .004), Secrecy (P < .001), and Recovery Assessment Scale (P < .001). Cohen d effect sizes ranged from 0.22 to 0.46 for baseline to post-intervention changes. Baseline and 30-day follow-up assessments did not significantly differ.Conclusions: A 2-minute social contact-based video intervention effectively yielded an immediate but not a lasting decrease in self-stigma among young individuals with ongoing mental health conditions. This is the first study to examine the effect of a video intervention on self-stigma. Future trials of self-stigma treatment interventions should explore whether combining existing interventions with brief videos enhances intervention effects.Trial Registration: NCT05878470.

"It's Tough to Be a Black Man with Schizophrenia": Randomized Controlled Trial of a Brief Video Intervention to Reduce Public Stigma.

BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS: Racial discrimination and public stigma toward Black individuals living with schizophrenia create disparities in treatment-seeking and engagement. Brief, social-contact-based video interventions efficaciously reduce stigma. It remains unclear whether including racial identity experiences in video narrative yields greater stigma reduction. We hypothesized that we would replicate findings showing sustained stigma reduction in video-intervention groups vs control and that Black participants would show greater stigma reduction and emotional engagement than non-Black participants only for a racial-insights video presenting a Black protagonist. STUDY DESIGN: Recruiting using a crowdsourcing platform, we randomized 1351 participants ages 18-30 to (a) brief video-based intervention, (b) racial-insights-focused brief video, or (c) non-intervention control, with baseline, post-intervention, and 30-day follow-up assessments. In 2-minute videos, a young Black protagonist described symptoms, personal struggles, and recovery from schizophrenia, with or without mentioning race-related experiences. STUDY RESULTS: A 3 × 3 ANOVA showed a significant group-by-time interaction for total scores of each of five stigma-related domains: social distance, stereotyping, separateness, social restriction, and perceived recovery (all P < .001). Linear mixed modeling showed a greater reduction in stigma from baseline to post-intervention among Black than non-Black participants in the racial insights video group for the social distance and social restriction domains. CONCLUSIONS: This randomized controlled trial replicated and expanded previous findings, showing the anti-stigma effects of a brief video tailored to race-related experiences. This underscores the importance of personalized, culturally relevant narratives, especially for marginalized groups who, more attuned to prejudice and discrimination, may particularly value identification and solidarity. Future studies should explore mediators/moderators to improve intervention efficacy.

Geographical distance predicts psychiatric treatment retention for Hispanic women with comorbid major depression and breast cancer.

PURPOSE: Depression is among the most common comorbid psychiatric disorders of patients with breast cancer. Depression decreases patient quality of life and, if untreated, can adversely affect cancer treatment. We sought to identify treatment barriers for women with breast cancer receiving psychotherapy for depression. Findings may help policy makers and researchers determine funding and design of future studies involving this population, especially in communities with high rates of health disparities. METHODS: We used data from a randomized trial for women with breast cancer and current DSM-IV non-psychotic unipolar major depressive disorder (MDD). Patients were randomly assigned to 12 weeks of one of three psychotherapies and attrition was assessed by whether subjects completed 12 weekly treatment sessions. We used descriptive analyses and logistic regression to identify treatment barriers. R shiny was used to determine study patient residences. RESULTS: Of 134 randomized patients, 84 (62.7%) were Hispanic. Fifty-nine patients (44%) either did not start or dropped out of treatment, 49 (83.1%) of them being Hispanic. Being a Hispanic woman, less educated, and geographically distant from treatment significantly predicted attrition. Single Hispanic mothers had significantly higher attrition risk than married and/or childless women. CONCLUSION: Identifying barriers to treatment is important to improve treatment adherence for patients with concurrent diagnoses of breast cancer and MDD, especially for traditionally underserved minorities. Additional support such as affordable tele-medicine, multi-language assistance, financial aid for transportation and child-care, and allocation of more funds to address some identified barriers deserve consideration to improve treatment adherence and outcomes.

Affect-Focused and Exposure-Focused Psychotherapies.

The authors discuss the two broad domains of affect-focused and exposure-focused psychotherapies, defining the characteristics and potential advantages and disadvantages of each. The two domains differ in their theoretical approaches, structures, and techniques. Exposure-focused therapies have come to dominate research and practice, leading to the relative neglect of affect-focused therapies. When the two approaches have been examined in well-conducted clinical trials, they generally appear to be equally beneficial for treating common mood, anxiety, and trauma disorders, although further research may better define differential therapeutics. The authors argue for better training in affect awareness and tolerance across psychotherapies and use a brief case vignette to illustrate several aspects of these different approaches.

Stigma Reduction Via Brief Video Interventions: Comparing Presentations by an Actor Versus a Person With Lived Experience.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare the efficacy of two brief video interventions in reducing mental health-related stigma: one featuring a person with lived experience of mental illness, the other featuring an actor guided by focus groups of individuals with lived experience. METHODS: Participants (N=1,216) ages 18-30 were randomly assigned to an intervention group or a control group. The intervention groups viewed one of two 2-minute videos in which a young Black protagonist describes symptoms, struggles, and personal recovery related to schizophrenia. Five domains of stigma were assessed at baseline, postintervention, and a 30-day follow-up. RESULTS: Stigma scores were lower across all five domains in both intervention groups (vs. control), and noninferiority analyses found no difference between the two videos (all p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This study enhanced prior findings showing similar efficacy of the two videos and illustrated opportunities for people with mental illness to share their personal stories without public exposure.

Acceptance and Mindfulness-Based Exposure Therapy for PTSD After Cardiac Arrest: An Open Feasibility Trial.

Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is prevalent after surviving sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). SCA-induced PTSD is associated with increased mortality and cardiovascular risk, yet no psychotherapeutic treatment has been developed and tested for this population. Exposure therapy is standard treatment for PTSD, but its safety and efficacy remain unconfirmed for SCA survivors: current protocols do not address their specific disease course and have high attrition. Mindfulness-based interventions are typically well-tolerated and have shown promise in reducing PTSD symptoms from other traumas.Objective: This study sought to determine feasibility, safety, and preliminary efficacy of acceptance and mindfulness-based exposure therapy (AMBET), a novel SCA-specific psychotherapy protocol combining mindfulness and exposure-based interventions with cardiac focused psychoeducation to reduce symptoms and improve health behaviors in patients with post-SCA PTSD.Methods: We conducted an open feasibility pilot study from January 2021 to April 2022 with a small sample (N = 11) of SCA survivors meeting DSM-5 PTSD criteria. AMBET comprised eight 90-minute remotely delivered individual sessions. Clinical evaluators assessed PTSD symptoms using the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5) at baseline, midpoint, posttreatment, and 3-month follow-up.Results: Ten (91%) of 11 enrolled patients completed treatment. Satisfaction was high and patients reported no adverse events. PTSD symptoms significantly improved statistically (P < .001) and clinically with large effect sizes (g = 1.34-2.21) and treatment gains sustained at 3-month follow-up. Posttreatment, 80% of completers (n = 8) showed significant treatment response, 70% (n = 7) with PTSD diagnostic remission. No patient reported symptom increases.Conclusions: This initial trial found AMBET feasible, safe, and potentially efficacious in reducing PTSD following SCA. These encouraging pilot results warrant further research.Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04596891.

Anxiety and Depression Symptoms Among Young U.S. Essential Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: Emerging cross-sectional data indicate that essential workers in the COVID-19 era face increased mental health risks. This study longitudinally examined clinical symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among U.S. essential workers, including health care workers and workers in indispensable occupations such as manufacturing, food industry, construction, transportation, hospitality, and emergency services, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors anticipated high symptom levels and greater symptom severity among women versus men and among younger adults compared with older adults. Analyses also explored the association between COVID-19 vaccination status and clinical symptoms. METHODS: This four-wave online survey study assessed clinical symptoms in a convenience sample of 4,136 essential workers at baseline and 14, 30, and 90 days between August and December 2021. Symptoms of anxiety, depression, and PTSD were measured with the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and Primary Care PTSD Screen instruments, respectively. RESULTS: At every time point, 74%-78% of respondents reported symptoms of anxiety and depression, which were highest among younger adults (ages 18-22 years), females, and transgender respondents. Vaccinated participants had slightly higher symptom levels than unvaccinated respondents. Rates of clinical symptoms did not change significantly over time. CONCLUSIONS: Essential workers consistently reported symptoms of generalized anxiety, depression, or PTSD, especially younger adult, female, and transgender participants. The overwhelming and unprecedented nature of the COVID-19 pandemic underscores the need to offer mental health care to essential workers, especially those in these subgroups. Employers and administrators should support and proactively encourage employees to access care when needed.

Changes in avoidance and distress related to trauma reminders in PTSD psychotherapy.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Research has examined reductions in patient distress recounting trauma narratives in Prolonged Exposure (PE) for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It remains unclear whether changes in distress and avoidance related to environmental trauma reminders matter in PE and other PTSD treatments, including non-exposure Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT). METHODS: Data came from adults with chronic PTSD (N = 92) who completed a treatment trial comparing PE, IPT, and Relaxation Therapy (RT). We employed the Self-Initiated In-Vivo Exposure Scale (SIIVES), which measures patient distress from and avoidance of situational trauma reminders, to calculate reliable change in distress and avoidance. PTSD symptoms, depression, quality of life, and functioning assessments were collected before and after 14 weeks of treatment. RESULTS: Overall, 48.1% of patients experienced reliable change in avoidance, while 51.9% showed reliable change in distress. Rates of reliable change did not differ by treatment group, although PE appeared to achieve reliable change earlier. Only one baseline characteristic predicted reliable change: patients with comorbid depression were less likely to reliably change in avoidance. At post-treatment, patients achieving reliable change had lower PTSD severity and depression and increased quality of life and social functioning. Statistical modeling revealed that changes in distress and avoidance related to subsequent reduction in PTSD symptoms in all three treatment groups, though this relationship appeared strongest in PE. LIMITATIONS: The sample was relatively small. CONCLUSIONS: Change in avoidance and distress associated with situational trauma reminders was associated with a range of clinical outcomes and may represent important factors in multiple PTSD psychotherapies.

Selfie Videos to Reduce Stigma and Increase Treatment Seeking Among Youths: Two Noninferiority Randomized Controlled Trials.

OBJECTIVE: Confronting stigma early in life could enhance treatment seeking. In two randomized controlled trials (RCTs), one focused on psychosis and the other on adolescent depression, the efficacy and equivalence of brief social contact-based videos were evaluated and compared with a control condition. The outcomes of interest were changes in illness-related stigma and treatment-seeking intention. The hypotheses were that the intervention videos would show greater efficacy than control conditions and that traditional and selfie videos would demonstrate similar efficacy. METHODS: Young adults (study 1, N=895) and adolescents (study 2, N=637) were randomly assigned to view intervention videos (in traditional or selfie styles) or to a control condition. In short videos (58-102 seconds), young presenters humanized their illness by emotionally describing their struggles and discussing themes of recovery and hope. RESULTS: Repeated-measures analyses of variance and paired t tests showed significant differences in stigma and treatment seeking between the intervention and control groups and similar efficacy of the traditional and selfie videos. Cohen's d effect sizes ranged from 0.31 to 0.76 for changes in stigma from baseline to 30-day follow-up in study 1 and from 0.13 to 0.47 for changes from baseline to postintervention in study 2. CONCLUSIONS: The RCTs demonstrated the efficacy of brief videos, both traditional and selfie, in reducing illness-related stigma among young adults and adolescents and in increasing treatment-seeking intention among adolescents. Future studies should explore the effects of brief videos presented by social media influencers on mental health stigma and treatment engagement.

Brief Video Intervention to Increase Treatment-Seeking Intention Among U.S. Health Care Workers: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVE: Many health care workers avoid seeking mental health care, despite COVID-19-related increases in risk of psychopathology. This study assessed the effects of two versions (distinguished by the race of the protagonist) of a brief social contact-based video on treatment-seeking intention and stigma toward mental health services among U.S. health care workers. METHODS: Participants (N=1,402) were randomly assigned to view a 3-minute video in which a Black or White female nurse described struggles with COVID-19-related anxiety and depression, barriers to care, and how therapy helped, or to view a control video unrelated to mental health. Half of the participants receiving the intervention watched the same video (i.e., booster) again 14 days later. Treatment-seeking intention and treatment-related stigma were assessed at baseline, postintervention, and 14- and 30-day follow-ups. RESULTS: Both intervention videos elicited an immediate increase in treatment-seeking intention in the intervention groups (p<0.001, effect size [ES]=21%), with similar effects among those who watched the booster video (p=0.016, ES=13%) and larger effects among those who had never sought treatment (p<0.001, ES=34%). The increased effects were not sustained 14 days after the initial video or at 30-day follow-up. The results showed an immediate reduction in stigma, but with no booster effect. The race of the protagonist did not influence outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: This easily administered intervention could increase the likelihood of care seeking by proactively encouraging health care workers with mental health challenges to pursue treatment. Future studies should examine whether the inclusion of linkable referrals to mental health services helps to increase treatment-seeking behavior.

"It Is Hard to Be a Woman With Schizophrenia": Randomized Controlled Trial of a Brief Video Intervention to Reduce Public Stigma in Young Adults.

Objective: Women with schizophrenia encounter specific gender-related stressors that may affect their recovery process. They are more susceptible to victimization and tend to experience more shame and stigma about their illness. Confronting stigma early in the illness could enhance treatment seeking. No studies have examined the efficacy of stigma-reducing interventions focused on public stigma toward women living with schizophrenia or have tested the effect of gender-specific content therein.Methods: We compared the efficacy at post-intervention and 30-day follow-up of 2 brief (~80-second) videos, with and without gender-related content, and a non-intervention control, in 1,181 young adults, between September and November 2021. The videos feature an empowered young woman living with schizophrenia who describes struggling with her psychotic illness to attain recovery and hope.Results: A 3 × 3 group-by-time analysis of variance showed decreased mean stigma scores over time in the two intervention arms relative to controls across all 5 public stigma domains: social distance (F = 17.1, P < .001), stereotyping (F = 25.0, P < .001), separateness (F = 8.3, P < .001), social restriction (F = 16.6, P < .001), and perceived recovery (F = 7.8, P < .001). Linear mixed modeling showed a greater intervention effect for women in the gender-related video group in social distance, stereotyping, and separateness.Conclusions: Greater stigma reduction among women in the gender-related video group underscores the importance of tailoring the narrative to specific experiences related to socio-demographic characteristics, especially among members of marginalized groups. This attenuation may result in greater identification and solidarity with the presenter. Future studies should explore other socially oppressed groups, including Black, Latinx, Asian, and LGBTQ+ communities.

Interpersonal psychotherapy versus sertraline for women with posttraumatic stress disorder following recent sexual assault: a randomized clinical trial.

Background: Sexual assault often triggers posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a potentially chronic severe mental disorder. Most guidelines recommend selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and trauma-focused psychotherapies as treatment options. Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT), adapted for PTSD (IPT-PTSD), focuses on interpersonal consequences of trauma rather than confronting the trauma itself. Studies have found IPT-PTSD efficaciously reduced PTSD symptoms with limited attrition. No efficacy trials have compared IPT-PTSD and SSRI. We hypothesized IPT would reduce PTSD, anxiety, and depressive symptoms more than sertraline among women with PTSD following a recent sexual assault. Objectives: To compare the efficacy of IPT-PTSD to SSRI sertraline in a 14-week randomized clinical trial for women with PTSD following a recent sexual assault. Methods: Seventy-four women with PTSD who had suffered sexual assault in the last six months were randomly assigned to 14 weeks of IPT-PTSD (n = 39) or sertraline (n = 35). Instruments assessed PTSD, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. This randomized clinical trial was conducted in São Paulo, Brazil, using the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale-5 (CAPS-5) as the primary outcome measure. Results: Both treatments significantly reduced PTSD, anxiety, and depressive symptoms, without between-group outcome differences. CAPS-5 mean decreased from 42.5 (SD = 9.4) to 27.1 (SD = 15.9) with sertraline and from 42.6 (SD = 9.1) to 29.1 (SD = 15.5) with IPT-PTSD. Attrition was high in both arms (p = .40). Conclusions: This trial showed within-group improvements without differences between IPT-PTSD and sertraline treatment of PTSD. Our findings suggest that non-exposure-based psychotherapies may benefit patients with PTSD, although we did not directly compare these treatments to an exposure therapy. Brazilian Clinical Trials Registry RBR-3z474z.

Antecedentes: La agresión sexual con frecuencia gatilla un trastorno de estrés postraumático (TEPT), un trastorno mental severo potencialmente crónico. La mayoría de las guías clínicas recomiendan los inhibidores selectivos de la receptación de serotonina (ISRSs) y psicoterapias focalizadas en trauma como opciones de tratamiento. La Psicoterapia Interpersonal (PIP), adaptada para TEPT (PIP-TEPT), se focaliza en las consecuencias interpersonales del trauma en lugar de confrontar el trauma en sí. Los estudios han encontrado que la PIP-TEPT eficazmente redujo los síntomas de TEPT con una deserción limitada. Ningún ensayo de eficacia ha comparado PIP-TEPT e ISRS. Hipotetizamos que la PIP-TEPT puede reducir los síntomas de TEPT, ansiedad y depresión más que la sertralina entre las mujeres con TEPT después de una agresión sexual reciente.Objetivos: Comparar la eficacia de la PIP-TEPT con sertralina, un ISRS en un ensayo clínico aleatorizado de 14 semanas para mujeres con TEPT después de una agresión sexual reciente.Métodos: Setenta y cuatro mujeres con TEPT que habían sufrido de una agresión sexual en los últimos seis meses fueron asignadas aleatoriamente a 14 semanas de PIP-TEPT (n = 39) o sertralina (n = 35). Los instrumentos evaluaron síntomas de TEPT, ansiedad y depresión. Este ensayo clínico aleatorizado se realizó en San Pablo, Brasil, utilizando la Escala de TEPT administrada por el clínico (CAPS-5, por sus siglas en inglés) como medida de resultado primaria.Resultados: Ambos tratamientos redujeron significativamente los síntomas de TEPT, ansiedad y depresión, sin diferencias de resultados entre los grupos. La media del CAPS-5 se redujo de 42.5 (DE = 9.4) a 27.1 (DE = 15.9) con sertralina y de 42.6 (DE = 9.1) a 29.1 (DE = 15.5) con la PIP-TEPT. La deserción fue alta en ambos tratamientos (p = .40).Conclusiones: Este ensayo mostro mejoría entre grupos sin diferencias entre la PIP-TEPT y sertralina en el tratamiento del TEPT. Nuestros hallazgos sugieren que las psicoterapias no basadas en la exposición pueden beneficiar a los pacientes con TEPT, aunque no comparamos directamente estos tratamientos con una terapia de exposición.Registro Brasileño de Ensayos Clínicos RBR-3z474z.