Concurrent Treatment for PTSD and Prolonged Grief Disorder: Review of Outcomes for Exposure- and Nonexposure-Based Treatments

This review gives an overview of treatments used to concurrently reduce symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and prolonged grief disorder (PGD). For purposes of this review, emphasis is placed on locating and comparing literature on exposure- and nonexposure-based treatments. Across 14 studies, the overall findings suggest that treatments are generally effective in treating PTSD and PGD concurrently and that treatments incorporating exposure-based components performed similarly to those without exposure-based components. However, methodological limitations preclude the ability to draw firm conclusions about the added impact of exposure-based components in traumatic grief treatment. Future directions for research on concurrent treatments for PTSD and PGD are discussed.