Treating PTSD also improves physical health
VA Research News Briefs

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(04/09/2025)
VA researchers from Boston and San Antonio teamed with the STRONG STAR Consortium to demonstrate improvements in PTSD also led to positive change in pain and physical health outcomes. The study included 127 U.S. Army Soldiers who received up to 24 sessions of cognitive processing therapy, a type of talk therapy, for PTSD – more than 60% had clinically significant reductions in PTSD symptoms. Those with PTSD improvements also showed positive improvements in self-reported pain and maintenance of physical health, while the group that did not respond to treatment had worsening physical and mental health scores. The results show a mutual maintenance model of PTSD treatment can also have positive effects in other areas of the patient’s life. (Journal of Traumatic Stress, Mar. 5, 2025)