My research topic deals with the effects of sleep medications on cognitive-behavioral therapy for PTSD. I hypothesize that there will be a negative association between stable sleep medication use and the outcome of cognitive-behavioral therapy.
The article treated two groups of individuals with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), delivering one group, the control group, nonspecific psychological treatment and tapering and the other group, the experimental group, cognitive behavioral therapy and tapering. This treatment was for cessation of benzodiazepines. Approximately 75% of the experimental group had complete cessation post-treatment compared to approximately 37% of the control group. Also, the control group’s cessation rate accounts for the cessation rate of tapering alone shown in previous studies. The tapering of benzodiazepine use seems to account for roughly half of the experimental group. Posttraumatic stress disorder, like GAD, is an anxiety disorder, which means the mechanisms may be similar and therefore translatable to PTSD treatments. This study provides more evidence of the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy; the literature and data overwhelmingly favor cognitive behavioral therapy, so it seems most appropriate for use in any study regarding anxiety disorders.
This study does not provide a model for my own research; rather it provides many citations regarding the effects of benzodiazepines and the importance of cessation. It also presents one of the most effective methods of ceasing the use. As well as supporting cognitive behavioral therapy, the article stands to show a growing trend in the literature towards lessening the grip of dependence of benzodiazepines, which I intend to push too by observing how the drugs of anxiety disorders affect therapy.
Gosselin, P., Ladouceur, R., Morin, C. M., Dugas, M. J., & Baillargeon, L. (2006). Benzodiazepine discontinuation among adults with GAD: A randomized trial of cognitive-behavioral therapy. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 74(5), 908- 919. doi: 10.1037/0022-006X.74.5.908
What did they mean by "non-specific therapy". This may be just my ignorance, but does that mean anything other than cognitive therapy, that they didn't know, or a specific (non-specific) approach? I like that you are looking at approaches that run parallel to your topic. That is a great way to glean ideas for your own method development. ABK
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