Novel Pharmacologic and Other Somatic Treatment Approaches for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Adults: State of the Evidence

What is it about?

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a relatively common psychiatric disorder that can develop after a person is exposed to a traumatic event. Although PTSD can be effectively treated with certain types of psychotherapy and antidepressant medications, some patients do not respond adequately, necessitating development of new treatments for PTSD. Here we review currently recommended treatments and evaluate emerging treatments for PTSD--psychotherapy combined with novel medications, new medications that operate differently from antidepressants, and different types of brain stimulation. Most emerging treatments do not have enough evidence to warrant their use. The data supporting the effectiveness of several novel treatments (e.g., transcranial magnetic stimulation, MDMA-assisted psychotherapy) are encouraging, with variation in potential implementation challenges.

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