Anxiety

Researchers at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey are currently conducting a study involving a specialized therapy, which was developed by Dartmouth University to treat individuals suffering from both Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and another serious mental illness. The therapy was adopted from cognitive-behavioral therapy, which focuses on changing thinking and behavioral patterns.

Steven Silverstein, Ph.D., director and Stephanie Marcello, Ph.D. are implementing the study at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. Marcello asserts that approximately 60% of individuals suffering from severe PTSD also suffer from another serious mental illness, such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or major depression. Research has already discovered that individuals who suffer from a severe mental illness in addition to PTSD rarely have their PTSD symptoms go away on their own. Thus, there is a need for a specialized therapy for people who suffer from both PTSD and another serious mental illness.

Approximately 75 people are currently taking part in the study, which will span four years. The researchers want to treat 200 people by the time four years is over.

The therapy entails relaxation techniques, “cognitive restructuring,” which is a technique used to help individuals realize anxiety-arousing thoughts and helps them replace these thoughts with more realistic ones about themselves and the safety of the environment around them, and information about how stress can cause mental illness symptoms. All participants in the study come from University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey community mental health centers in South Bunswick, Newark, New Bunswick, and Piscataway.

Hopefully, this treatment will prove to be effective for treating individuals with PTSD and another serious mental illness. Perhaps in the future, this form of cognitive-behavioral treatment will become more available so that more individuals suffering with these conditions can receive help.

Source:

Psych Central: Treatment for PTSD and Another Mental Illness