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PSYCHIATRY

 
 

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Norah C. Feeny, PhD

  • Director, PTSD Treatment and Research Program

About the Program

This program offers services for children, teens, and adults. As we now know, traumatic experiences are surprisingly common among all these groups. In adults, epidemiological studies show 50-60% of the general population has experienced at least one traumatic event. Rates are similarly high among youths. One of the most common psychological sequelae of trauma is PTSD.

PTSD is an anxiety disorder characterized by unwanted, upsetting trauma-related thoughts, avoidance of trauma-related situations and memories, and sleep and concentration problems. PTSD occurs in both youths and adults. This is a chronic and debilitating condition, with lifetime prevalence rates ranging from 8%-14% of the U.S. population. Thus, providing service and conducting research in this population is of the utmost importance.

Fortunately, good, evidence based treatments exist for PTSD. Cognitive behavioral interventions in particular appear to be effective. Cognitive behavioral treatments focus on reducing trauma related anxiety and avoidance in order to help people overcome their trauma related fears. Medications have also been found to be very helpful, and in adults, two medications have been approved by the FDA for use with PTSD: sertraline and paroxetine.

Services that Dr. Feeny’s Program offers include evaluations, short-term cognitive behavioral treatment for acute and chronic reactions to trauma, and training of clinicians in how to conduct cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for children and adults with PTSD. In the future, medication consults and management will also be integrated.

This Program will also support research related to how to most effectively treat PTSD. Currently, a treatment study is already underway for adult trauma survivors; in this study eligible adults with PTSD will receive a thorough, no-cost evaluation and either cognitive behavioral therapy or sertraline.

Our Team

Norah C. Feeny, PhD, Director | profile | email

Lisa R. Stines, PhD, Postdoctoral Scholar | email

Jennifer Fabritius, BA, Research Coordinator | email

Contact Us

For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call Jennifer Fabritius at 216-983-0836.

For More Information

PTSD - Adults

PTSD - Youth