Effectiveness of Cognitive, Exposure, and Skills Group Manualized Treatments in Operations Iraqi (OIF)/Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) Female Veterans

The purpose of the study is to evaluate the efficacy of a group protocol for the delivery of evidence-based therapies in comparison to a wait-list control and evaluate the relative contribution of exposure, cognitive, and skills blocks of treatment in a 16-session manualized group treatment protocol in a sample of OIF/OEF female PTSD veterans. Hyp1: Overall improvement is expected in PTSD symptoms compared to a wait-list control group; and Hyp2: the exposure and cognitive components are expected to show greater improvement in PTSD symptoms than the skills component. Significant results will establish the efficacy of a group format for evidence-based treatments for all veterans with a PTSD diagnosis. An ancillary part of the study is to examine initial neuropsychological presentation in this population and possible changes that may occur as the result of treatment.