Investigating the impact of Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety symptoms in female victims of domestic violence.

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to investigate the effects of CPT on PTSD, depression, and anxiety symptoms in female victims of domestic violence.

Methods: A two-arm randomized clinical trial was conducted in Bandar-Abbas involving 62 female victims of domestic violence referred from private gynecology and obstetrics clinics. Initial screening for domestic violence was based on the World Health Organization violence questionnaire. Participants were randomly assigned to either a control group (n=32) or an intervention group (n=28) for a study duration of six months in 2022. Twelve group CPT sessions were conducted. The domestic violence questionnaire, Beck's Depression Inventory, Beck's Anxiety Inventory, and the Impact of Event Scale-Revised were completed in three time points: pre-test, post-test, and follow-up.

Results: There was a statistically significant difference in the mean scores of depression, PTSD, and domestic violence (P less than .001) between the two groups; however, no significant difference was found in anxiety scores (P greater than .050).

Conclusions: CPT is recommended for female victims of domestic violence to reduce symptoms of depression, PTSD, and domestic violence.