Contrary to recent speculation, repeated trauma exposure did not predict less change in self-reported distress during imaginal exposure or worse posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) outcomes, according to a recent study. Patients with repeated trauma exposure show reductions in distress with exposure treatment and benefit from prolonged exposure (PE) as much as patients with single-exposure trauma histories. In this study, adults (n=116) with chronic PTSD received up to 10 sessions of prolonged exposure (PE) therapy. Researchers assessed trauma exposure via interview and recorded number of traumatic events for each participant. They found:

• In-session distress during imaginal exposure decreased over the course of treatment.
• PTSD symptoms also decreased over treatment, with gains being maintained through follow-up.
• Repeated trauma exposure was not significantly correlated with initial distress activation.