The American Psychological Association recently issued a guideline recommending only short-term, structured, and symptom-focused therapies for the treatment of PTSD; the guideline may be used to restrict patients from longer term, more intensive forms of talk therapy. As a result, the Coalition to Preserve PTSD Treatment Choice has put forth a petition asking the APA to re-evaluate their new guideline. To sign the petition, click here.
In response to the petition described above, a new petition has been launched by those who support the APA’s PTSD treatment guidelines: https://www.thepetitionsite.com/en-au/takeaction/780/537/970/. I signed it and wrote the following:
I support the APA’s PTSD treatment guidelines. Our most science-based, demonstrably effective therapies for PTSD should be the standard of care. It is impossible to publish science-based guidelines without upsetting those whose favored therapies are not recommended. This is the price we must pay to claim scientific credibility as mental health professionals. The alternative petition is titled, “Protect PTSD Treatments That Work!” That title is ironic given that this alternative petition seeks to retain the favored status of therapies that lack sufficient scientific evidence, while the APA’s guideline advocates science-based therapies with proven effectiveness. I support the APA’s guideline because I wish to protect treatments that work!
