Personalized psychotherapy of posttraumatic stress disorder : Overview on the selection of treatment methods and techniques using statistical procedures

Abstract

Arelevant heterogeneity of treatment effects in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is discussed with respect to the debate about the necessity of phase-based treatment and in light of the new diagnosis of complex PTSD and has recently been proven; however, there has been little personalization in the treatment of PTSD. This article presents the current state of research on the personalized selection of specific psychotherapeutic methods for the treatment of PTSD based on patient characteristics using statistical methods. Asystematic literature search was conducted in the PubMed (including Medline), Embase, Web of Science Core Collection, Google Scholar, PsycINFO and PSYNDEX databases to identify clinical trials and reviews examining personalized treatment for PTSD. A total of 13relevant publications were identified, of which 5articles were predictor analyses in samples without control conditions and 7articles showed analyses of randomized controlled trials (RCT) with apost hoc comparison of treatment effects in optimally and nonoptimally assigned patients. In addition, one article was asystematic review on the treatment of patients with comorbid borderline personality order and PTSD. The available manuscripts indicate the importance and benefits of personalized treatment in PTSD. The relevant predictor variables identified for personalization should be used as asuggestion to investigate them in future prospective studies.