Exploring the Associations of Emotion Regulation and Trait Resilience with the Efficacy of Cognitive Processing Therapy for Active Duty Military Personnel with PTSD

Background

Military personnel who complete cognitive processing therapy (CPT) can still experience residual symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Gaining a deeper understanding of the characteristics that influence response to CPT may increase the likelihood of treatment success. Emotion regulation and trait resilience are associated with PTSD severity and may influence treatment response in active duty service members with PTSD.

Methods

This secondary analysis explored the association among reports of baseline emotion regulation (Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire-Short Form) and trait resilience (Response to Stressful Experiences Scale) with PTSD severity reductions in a sample of active duty service members (N = 268) who participated in a clinical trial that compared group-delivered and individual CPT. Population averaged models were utilized to examine if baseline predictors were related to change in PTSD severity from pre- to posttreatment.

Results

Trait resilience predicted PTSD severity changes such that participants who reported less trait resilience at baseline demonstrated greater PTSD severity reductions over a course of CPT. There was also a main effect of adaptive emotion regulation on PTSD severity. Post-hoc correlation analyses revealed that baseline adaptive emotion regulation was positively associated with PTSD severity at pre- and posttreatment.

Conclusions

Findings imply that service members with lower trait resilience may particularly benefit from CPT. Whether trait resilience moderates PTSD outcomes specific to CPT will require a trial with an alternative comparison treatment arm.

Clinical Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02173561 (6/25/2014)