Better Treatment for PTSD

What happens when fear — a psychological mechanism that protects us from harm — becomes unmanageable after a traumatic event? APS Fellow Edna Foa, one of TIME’s 100 most influential people in 2010, is an expert in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other anxiety disorders. She is known for designing “prolonged exposure” or PE, a groundbreaking therapy for PTSD that has been embraced by the US military. PE involves helping patients overcome their fears by gradually facing painful thoughts, memories, and environments. In this video excerpt from CMI Education Institute, Inc. Foa discusses treatment for PTSD.

At the APS 24th Annual Convention in Chicago, Foa will speak as part of the Disaster, Response, and Recovery theme program. Along with other experts in the field, Foa will discuss how psychological science is meeting the challenges that natural and human-induced disasters cause by identifying the effects of trauma; helping traumatized victims; and formulating interventions that might prevent disasters from occurring.

APS is currently accepting submissions for the 24th Annual Convention. If your research is relevant to this theme program, please consider submitting a poster to the special theme poster session. Submit proposals online through January 31, 2012.