Abstract | BACKGROUND: METHODS: Outpatients with a DSM-III-R diagnosis of moderate-to-severe PTSD were randomized to 12 weeks of double-blind treatment with either sertraline (N = 100) in flexible daily doses in the range of 50 to 200 mg or placebo (N = 108). Primary outcome measures consisted of the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS-2) total severity score, the patient-rated Impact of Event Scale (IES), and the Clinical Global Impression-Severity (CGI-S) and -Improvement (CGI-I) ratings. RESULTS: Mixed-effects analyses found significantly steeper improvement slopes for sertraline compared with placebo on the CAPS-2 (t = 2.96, P =.003), the IES (t = 2.26, P =.02), the CGI-I score (t = 3.62, P<.001), and the CGI-S score (t = 4.40, P<.001). An intent-to-treat end-point analysis found a 60% responder rate for sertraline and a 38% responder rate for placebo (chi(2)(1) = 8.48, P =.004). Sertraline treatment was well tolerated, with a 9% discontinuation rate because of adverse events, compared with 5% for placebo. Adverse events that were significantly more common in subjects given sertraline compared with placebo consisted of insomnia (35% vs 22%), diarrhea (28% vs 11%), nausea (23% vs 11%), fatigue (13% vs 5%), and decreased appetite (12% vs 1%). CONCLUSION: The results of the current study suggest that sertraline is a safe, well-tolerated, and significantly effective treatment for PTSD.
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Authors | J R Davidson, B O Rothbaum, B A van der Kolk, C R Sikes, G M Farfel |
Journal | Archives of general psychiatry
(Arch Gen Psychiatry)
Vol. 58
Issue 5
Pg. 485-92
(May 2001)
ISSN: 0003-990X [Print] United States |
PMID | 11343529
(Publication Type: Clinical Trial, Comparative Study, Journal Article, Multicenter Study, Randomized Controlled Trial, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
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Chemical References |
- Placebos
- Serotonin Uptake Inhibitors
- Sertraline
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Topics |
- Adult
- Diarrhea
(chemically induced)
- Double-Blind Method
- Fatigue
(chemically induced)
- Feeding and Eating Disorders
(chemically induced)
- Female
- Humans
- Male
- Nausea
(chemically induced)
- Placebos
- Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
(statistics & numerical data)
- Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors
(therapeutic use)
- Sertraline
(adverse effects, therapeutic use)
- Severity of Illness Index
- Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders
(chemically induced)
- Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
(drug therapy, psychology)
- Treatment Outcome
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