[Evidence-based psychotherapy of posttraumatic stress syndrome-An update].

Background: The aim of this article is to summarize the current state of research on the effectiveness of psychotherapeutic treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Methods: The results of current meta-analyses and trend-setting individual studies are summarized and the most important forms of intervention are explained.

Results: The psychotherapeutic treatment methods for PTSD are very effective, the effect sizes are large and superior to those of pharmacotherapy. Trauma exposure and cognitive restructuring are most effective. Trauma-focused procedures are generally superior to other forms of psychotherapy. A range of different cognitive behavioral procedures as well as eye movement desensitization and reprocessing are recommended. The most recent initial findings confirm a very good effectiveness for imagery rescripting methods as protective interventions without a formal confrontation with trauma. Individual therapy works better than group psychotherapy. In the group setting cognitive processing therapy has proven to be the best intervention. Trauma-focused treatment should also be used when comorbid conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or addiction are present.

Discussion: Trauma-focused psychotherapy in an individual setting is the treatment of choice for PTSD. A large selection of effective methods and well-reviewed manuals are available. The German language S3 guidelines are currently being updated.