HSP Intervention and Evidence-Based Treatment 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Prolonged Exposure (PE) therapy for PTSD primarily works by:
- Replacing traumatic memories with positive ones
- Reducing avoidance so the trauma memory loses its power to evoke fear (Correct answer)
- Prescribing relaxation techniques to manage flashbacks
- Using EMDR bilateral stimulation protocols
Correct answer: Reducing avoidance so the trauma memory loses its power to evoke fear
PE reduces PTSD symptoms through repeated, systematic exposure to trauma-related memories and triggers, allowing habituation and emotional processing.
Question 2: Which intervention is considered evidence-based for treating insomnia as a standalone disorder?
- Sleep restriction and stimulus control (CBT-I) (Correct answer)
- Long-term benzodiazepine use
- Progressive relaxation only
- Dream analysis
Correct answer: Sleep restriction and stimulus control (CBT-I)
CBT for Insomnia (CBT-I) is the first-line treatment and includes sleep restriction, stimulus control, and sleep hygiene education.
Question 3: In Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) for depression, which of the following is NOT one of the four core problem areas addressed?
- Grief
- Role transitions
- Core schema restructuring (Correct answer)
- Interpersonal disputes
Correct answer: Core schema restructuring
IPT addresses grief, role disputes, role transitions, and interpersonal deficits; schema restructuring is a concept from Schema Therapy, not IPT.
Question 4: A health psychologist treating a cancer patient implements a mindfulness-based intervention to address psychological distress. Which program is most evidenced for this population?
- Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) (Correct answer)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention (MBRP)
Correct answer: Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
MBSR was originally developed to reduce stress in medical patients and has the most evidence for improving quality of life and distress in cancer populations.
Question 5: Which of the following is a key feature that distinguishes Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) from Prolonged Exposure in treating PTSD?
- CPT involves repeated in-vivo exposures to trauma triggers
- CPT explicitly targets stuck points and maladaptive cognitions about the trauma (Correct answer)
- CPT relies on bilateral stimulation techniques
- CPT is a purely somatic approach
Correct answer: CPT explicitly targets stuck points and maladaptive cognitions about the trauma
CPT focuses on identifying and modifying 'stuck points'—maladaptive cognitions about the trauma and its meaning—distinguishing it from PE's primary focus on exposure.
Question 6: When treating a patient with Borderline Personality Disorder using DBT, the primary goal of the skills training module 'Distress Tolerance' is to:
- Solve the problems causing distress
- Help the patient change their emotional reaction to distress
- Survive crises without making them worse (Correct answer)
- Build long-term resilience by modifying schemas
Correct answer: Survive crises without making them worse
Distress Tolerance skills in DBT help clients tolerate and survive painful situations without engaging in destructive behaviors.
Question 7: Evidence-based treatment for Panic Disorder typically includes which core component?
- Avoidance of all anxiety-provoking situations
- Interoceptive exposure to feared bodily sensations (Correct answer)
- Long-term anxiolytic medication as primary treatment
- Hypnotherapy for root-cause identification
Correct answer: Interoceptive exposure to feared bodily sensations
Interoceptive exposure involves deliberately inducing panic-like sensations (e.g., hyperventilating, spinning) to reduce fear of physical symptoms.
HSP Intervention and Evidence-Based Treatment 3
Prolonged Exposure (PE) therapy for PTSD primarily works by: