Effectiveness of cognitive behavioral treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder on women victims of intimate partner violence

This study evaluates the effectiveness of a cognitive behavioral treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on women victims of intimate partner violence. Women victims of intimate partner violence (N= 129) were grouped by type of violence experienced: psychological (21), physical and psychological (43), sexual (30), and psychological, physical and sexual (35). The assessment consisted of a semi structured interview session and the evaluation with two psychometric tests to obtain posttraumatic and depressive symptoms data. Treatment was applied in 12 individual sessions and a follow up session three months later. Results showed that PTSD symptoms are more common in cases where there has been physical violence and sexual violence as compared to cases of psychological violence. This suggests that the physical aggression to the victim (of any kind) could precipitate such symptoms unlike other forms of violence. This study provides further evidence of the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy for PTSD in all cases of intimate partner violence.