How UW Medicine brought PTSD treatment into the primary care clinic, with proven results

Primary care clinics could be a powerful gateway to post-traumatic stress disorder treatment, according to a study led by the University of Washington School of Medicine, part of UW Medicine. Results, published in JAMA Psychiatry, suggest that PTSD care can be effectively managed where patients already receive most of their health care, rather than limiting care to specialty mental health settings.

“Only one-third of patients with PTSD receive specialty mental health care,” said John Fortney, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Washington School of Medicine and the study’s lead author. “Improving access to proven, lifesaving treatments within primary care settings can get more patients on the road to recovery.”

One of the largest of its kind, the study followed 700 patients from seven federally qualified health centers and eight Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers across 11 states. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either written exposure therapy or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor medications, or SSRIs. Researchers found that both established PTSD treatments led to a significant decline in symptoms when delivered in a primary care setting. If that approach didn’t work, providers were able to effectively adjust treatment.

Authors added that supportive approaches like motivational coaching or integrating mental and physical health care could help even more people adhere to the treatment protocols.  

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