Cognitive-Behavior and Expressive Arts Strategies Applied to the Treatment of PTSD: A Review of Clinical Reports

Abstract

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a highly prevalent psychopathological condition that may develop after exposure to a single or to a series of threatening or traumatic events. In the absence of treatment, its course can be chronic causing significant distress. In this sense, psychotherapeutic interventions would allow for the relief of some symptoms with the improvement of one’s cognitive and behavior functioning. The aim of the present study was to identify, through a review of clinical reports, the choice of strategies made by psychologists and/or other health professionals for the psychotherapeutic treatment of PTSD. A review of clinical reports published in journals indexed in the Online Library of Knowledge (B-on) was carried out following specific criteria. Twenty-two publications that met the inclusion criteria were identified and the results pointed to the presence of strategies in line with the principles of the cognitive-behavior model of learning and/or with the analytical psychology. The present narrative review of the literature provides a clear picture of choices being made, in terms of specific approaches and derived strategies, in the field of psychological clinical practice.