A randomized clinical trial enrolled 240 combat veterans diagnosed with PTSD. Participants were assigned to one of three conditions: prolonged exposure therapy, cognitive processing therapy, or a waitlist control. After 12 weeks, both active treatments produced large reductions in PTSD symptom severity compared with the waitlist, with no statistically significant difference between the two active arms.
Which conclusion is best supported by these results?
- Acheck_circle
Both prolonged exposure and cognitive processing therapy are efficacious for combat-related PTSD, with comparable outcomes.
- B
Neither therapy is effective until pharmacological treatment is added.
- C
Cognitive processing therapy is superior because it produces faster cognitive change.
- D
Prolonged exposure is superior because it directly targets avoidance behaviors.
Explanation
When two active treatments both outperform a control but do not differ from each other, the appropriate conclusion is that both are efficacious and roughly equivalent. Claiming superiority for either therapy contradicts the null result, and dismissing efficacy ignores the significant gains over waitlist.