Combining Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation With Behavioral Interventions for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Reasons for Optimism Despite Negative Findings

Abstract

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a serious problem that impacts civilians and veterans worldwide. Despite significant strides in efficacious treatments, symptoms tend to persist in a large portion of individuals. This is sometimes due to the lack of completing often lengthy treatment protocols or because symptoms persist even after successful treatment completion. For first-line evidence-based psychotherapies (EBPs) for PTSD, such as cognitive processing therapy or prolonged exposure, studies have found that approximately one third of those seeking treatment drop out before completion, with higher rates in Veterans Healthcare Administration and Department of Defense settings (1).