Book Review: Effective Treatments for PTSD: Practice Guidelines from the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies

This book review is part of a series that covers the topic of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder / PTSD. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal in which grave physical harm occurred or was threatened. Jef Gazley is t he Official Guide to Post-Taumatic Stress Disorder / PTSD. Effective Treatments for PTSD: Practice Guidelines from the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, edited by Edna B. Foa, Terence M. Keane and Matthew J. Friedman, is a valuable resource for people interested in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms and it is available through Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Developed under the auspices of the PTSD Treatment Guidelines Task Force of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, this comprehensive volume offers best practice guidelines for the treatment of PTSD. The book represents the collaborative work of experts across a range of theoretical orientations and professional backgrounds. After addressing general treatment considerations and methodological issues, chapters review and evaluate the salient literature on treatment approaches for children, adolescents, and adults. Approaches covered include acute interventions, cognitive-behavioral therapy, pharmacotherapy, EMDR, group therapy, psychodynamic therapy, inpatient treatment, psychosocial rehabilitation, hypnotherapy, marital and family treatment, and creative therapies. Standardized ratings are provided of each modality's efficacy for reducing core symptoms, and therapeutic goals, methods, and treatment planning recommendations are summarized. Synthesizing a vast body of knowledge into a cohesive, practical framework, this volume will be the definitive resource for all clinicians and researchers working in the area of PTSD.

Edited by Edna B. Foa, PhD, Center for the Study and Treatment of Anxiety, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Terence M. Keane, PhD, Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine; National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System, and Matthew J. Friedman, MD, PhD, Departments of Psychiatry and Pharmacology, Dartmouth Medical School; National Center for PTSD, White River Junction VAMC, White River Junction, VT

Edna B. Foa, PhD, is Professor of Clinical Psychology in Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania and Director of the Center for the Study and Treatment of Anxiety . She has published over 200 articles and book chapters as well as several books, including Treating the Trauma of Rape (coauthored with Barbara Olasov Rothbaum).

Terence M. Keane, PhD, is Professor and Vice-Chairman of Psychiatry at the Boston University School of Medicine. He is also Chief of Psychology and Director of the National Center for PTSD at the VA Boston Healthcare System. His several books and more than 130 scientific publications include Assessing Psychological Trauma and PTSD (coedited with John P. Wilson).

Matthew J. Friedman, MD, PhD, is Executive Director of the National Center for PTSD at the White River Junction VAMC, and Professor of Psychiatry and Pharmacology at Dartmouth Medical School. He has published books and monographs on the neurobiological basis of stress, ethnocultural aspects of PTSD, the controversy surrounding recovered memories, and disaster mental health services.