It is important that veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) have access to evidence-based treatment (EBT). A significant number (40%) of military service members leaving active duty return to rural or remote areas where access to EBT and specialized PTSD treatment is often limited or unavailable. To overcome this obstacle, the use of video conferencing is becoming a more widespread and acceptable method of providing therapy to those living in areas with limited access to EBT.
While research indicates that cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment for PTSD, there are few studies that examine outcomes of group CBT with veterans. In the current study, Morland et al. compared therapist adherence to manualized cognitive-behavioral anger management group treatment (AMT) between therapy delivered via video conference (VC) and the traditional in-person modality. The researchers also compared the equivalency of cognitive-behavioral anger management group therapy delivered via VC and the same therapy delivered in-person.
The results of this study indicate that utilizing video conferencing did not affect therapists’ adherence to CBT anger management group therapy. This study provides support for the utility of video conferencing as a method for delivering effective therapy to veterans. It also identifies video-conferencing as a potential gateway to evidence-based CBT for veterans and service members returning to remote areas following deployment. These findings encourage future research on the effectiveness of video conferencing among different populations and EBTs.
Morland, L.A., Greene, C.J., Grubbs, K., Kloezeman, K., Mackintosh, M., Rosen, C., et al. (2011). Therapist Adherence to Manualized Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Anger Management Delivered to Veterans with PTSD via Videoconferencing. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 67, 629-638.