A randomized trial of brief couple therapy for PTSD and relationship satisfaction.

Objective: This three-arm randomized trial tested a brief version of cognitive-behavioral conjoint therapy (bCBCT) delivered in two modalities compared to couples' psychoeducation in a sample of U.S. veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and their intimate partners.

OEF/OIF/OND Veterans Seeking PTSD Treatment: Perceptions of Partner Involvement in Trauma-Focused Treatment.

Introduction: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been linked to a variety of adverse mental and physical health outcomes including distressed relationships. Involving romantic partners in PTSD treatment appears to be a promising new avenue for PTSD treatment; however, additional research is necessary to clarify veteran preferences for inclusion of significant others in treatment and relationship characteristics that may influence such preferences. Accordingly, the present study was designed to evaluate Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation New Dawn (OEF/OIF/OND) veterans' desire to include romantic partners in trauma-focused care (n = 74) and to explore psychological and relationship variables associated with preference for partner inclusion in PTSD treatment.

The impact of an 8-day intensive treatment for adolescent panic disorder and agoraphobia on comorbid diagnoses.

Previous research findings have shown positive effects of cognitive-behavioral therapy for primary anxiety disorders as well as for nonprimary, co-occurring anxiety disorders. In this study, we analyzed data from an existing randomized controlled trial of intensive treatment for panic disorder with or without agoraphobia (PDA) to examine the effects of the treatment on comorbid psychiatric diagnoses. The overall frequency and severity of aggregated comorbid diagnoses decreased in a group of adolescents who received an 8-day treatment for PDA.

Clinical Characteristics of Children and Adolescents with a Primary Tic Disorder.

The clinical characteristics and rates of co-occurring psychiatric conditions in youth seeking treatment for a chronic tic disorder (CTD) were examined. Children and adolescents ( = 126) with a primary CTD diagnosis were recruited for a randomized controlled treatment trial. An expert clinician established diagnostic status via semi-structured interview.

Emotion regulation in youth with emotional disorders: implications for a unified treatment approach.

Given the relationship between internalizing disorders and deficits in emotion regulation in youth, the emotion science literature has suggested several avenues for increasing the efficacy of interventions for youth presenting with anxiety and depression. These possibilities include the identification and addition of emotion-regulation skills to existing treatment packages and broadening the scope of those emotions addressed in cognitive-behavioral treatments. Current emotion-focused interventions designed to meet one or both of these goals are discussed, and the developmental influences relevant to the selection of emotion-focused treatment goals are explored using the framework of a modal model of emotion regulation.

The Role of Emotion in Psychological Therapy.

This Special Issue of Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice provides a series of articles detailing efforts to consider the concepts of emotion and emotion regulation in relation to clinical assessment and psychopathology intervention efforts across the lifespan. In our commentary, we review some common themes and challenges presented in these articles to move forward the discussion of emotion's role in psychological therapy. We discuss efforts to conceptualize the role of context in defining emotion concepts and maximizing the relevancy of such concepts to treatment.

Reactivity of tic observation procedures to situation and setting.

Tic frequency was assessed and compared across home and clinic as well as three experimentally-manipulated situations in order to assess the phenomenon of tic reactivity. Forty-three youngsters with chronic tic disorder recruited from two geographically-distinct sites were videotaped over three weekly laboratory visits under each of the following conditions: (1) alone/camera present, (2) other present/camera present, and (3) alone/camera hidden. Contrary to expectation, more tics were observed during overt as compared to covert observation, while the presence of another person had no overall impact on tic expression.