New Interventions for the Treatment of PTSD

Abstract

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a typical mental health problem, whose prevalence has increased rapidly following the global COVID-19 pandemic. Along with other mental health problems, it affects millions of people worldwide, and its effects can often be distressing and debilitating. However, research into more effective treatment is ongoing, including research into the use of medication such as the beta-blocker propranolol or the immunosuppressant rapamycin to treat PTSD by disrupting maladaptive memory reconsolidation, as well as a novel study using a cognitive task to prevent the formation of PTSD by interfering with memory consolidation. This paper adopts literature review as the research method, systematically evaluate the previous studies toward the treatments of PTSD. Finally, it concludes that, although further research must be carried out with larger sample sizes, there is a strong possibility that the use of new medications or innovative interventions could be more effective than traditional prolonged exposure therapy in many cases.