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Accelerated Resolution Therapy: A Brief, Emerging Evidence-Based Treatment for PTSD

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Comprehensive Guide to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

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Abstract

In both civilian and military settings, emerging therapies for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are an area of intense scientific interest and need. Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) is an emerging, innovative exposure-based treatment for symptoms of PTSD that is delivered in just one to five sessions and requires no homework or skills practice, thereby reducing patient’s commitment time and practitioner’s intervention time to approximately one-fifth of the time required for traditional first-line evidence-based therapies for PTSD. The ART protocol uses the evidence-based components of imaginal exposure, imagery rescripting, and smooth pursuit eye movements. ART addresses the cardinal PTSD features of distressing emotions, thoughts, sensations, and images in particular, by viewing the development and maintenance of PTSD symptoms as a consequence of a failure of a traumatized individual to exhibit extinction of the affective component of the memory. As of this publication date, there are two completed empirical studies of ART and multiple other studies are in progress. The two empirical studies of ART completed among both civilians and military personnel with symptoms of PTSD provide strong indications of efficacy. However, controlled trials against current first-line evidence-based therapies have not been conducted and long-term post-treatment empirical research data do not exist for ART. These data are considered essential in fully evaluating and quantifying the potential benefit of ART as a first-line treatment option for civilian and military PTSD.

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Abbreviations

AC:

Attention control

ART:

Accelerated resolution therapy

CAPS:

Clinician administered PTSD scale

CES–D:

Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale

CPT:

Cognitive processing therapy

EMDR:

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing

IE:

Imaginal exposure

IOM:

Institute of Medicine

IR:

Imagery rescripting

ITT:

Intention to treat

MDD:

Major depressive disorder

MH:

Mental health

PCL-C:

PTSD checklist – civilian version

PCL-M:

PTSD checklist – military version

PDSQ:

Psychiatric diagnostic screening questionnaire

PE:

Prolonged exposure

POQ:

Pain outcome questionnaire – short form

PTSD:

Post-traumatic stress disorder

REMs:

Rapid eye movements

SIT:

Stress inoculation training

SSRI:

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor

VA:

Veterans administration

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of South Florida, College of Nursing, MDN, Room 2010 12901 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Tampa, FL, 33612-4476, USA

    Kevin E. Kip, Laney Rosenzweig, Diego F. Hernandez, Amy Shuman, Ann Witt & Erin Keller

  2. Department of Psychology, Cognitive, Neural and Social Division, University of South Florida, 4202 East Fowler Ave. (PCD 4118G), Tampa, FL, 33620, USA

    David M Diamond

  3. James. A. Haley Veterans Hospital, Research and Development Service, 13000 Bruce B. Downs, Blvd, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA

    David M Diamond

Authors
  1. Kevin E. Kip
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  2. Laney Rosenzweig
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  3. Diego F. Hernandez
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  4. Amy Shuman
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  5. Ann Witt
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  6. Erin Keller
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  7. David M Diamond
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kevin E. Kip .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Buckinghamshire New University, Uxbridge, Middlesex, United Kingdom

    Colin R. Martin

  2. Kings College, London, United Kingdom

    Victor R. Preedy

  3. University of Westminster, London, United Kingdom

    Vinood B. Patel

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Kip, K.E. et al. (2015). Accelerated Resolution Therapy: A Brief, Emerging Evidence-Based Treatment for PTSD. In: Martin, C., Preedy, V., Patel, V. (eds) Comprehensive Guide to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-08613-2_37-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-08613-2_37-1

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-08613-2

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