Effectiveness and moderators of PE and CPT in adult PTSD treatment: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Eur J PsychotraumatolSep 9, 2026 (epub)
Clinical ResearchPsychiatry
Bingyu Xu, Qiyue Cai, Sydni A J Basha et al.
✦ AI-curated · Sources linked
In 30 seconds
This meta-analysis evaluated the effectiveness of Prolonged Exposure (PE) and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for treating PTSD, synthesizing data from 175 treatment arms across 163 studies. The overall pooled effect size was large (Hedges' g = 1.67), indicating significant symptom improvement. Variations in treatment effects were noted based on sample characteristics, particularly in non-military populations.
Key findings
- The overall pooled effect size for PE and CPT was large at Hedges' g = 1.67.
- PE showed larger effects than CPT in non-military samples.
- Larger treatment effects were observed in studies with a higher proportion of female participants.
- Effect sizes were sensitive to influential outliers, reducing to g = 1.55 when adjusted.
Why it matters
Understanding the comparative effectiveness of PE and CPT is crucial for tailoring PTSD treatments to individual patient characteristics, potentially enhancing treatment outcomes and resource allocation in mental health services.