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Summary: Yes, there are new treatments for PTSD available for people with a history of trauma. Many of these new treatments involve innovative protocols for the delivery of previously established, effective, evidence-based approaches to reducing PTSD symptoms.

Key Points:

  • New medications for PTSD are on the horizon, with significant federal funding recently allocated to researching psychedelics such as ibogaine as potential new treatments for PTSD.
  • New treatments currently available for PTSD include innovative approaches to cognitive behavioral therapies (CBT/CPT) and prolonged exposure therapy (PE).
  • Researchers are currently exploring creative protocols that increase treatment retention, encourage full participation in treatment exercises/activities, and promote peer support and engagement.

Accelerated Care and The Road Home: New Treatments for PTSD

Much of our knowledge about post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the result of the work of scientists, doctors, and therapists at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the National Center for PTSD. These publicly funded entities regularly publish helpful resources on the latest developments in PTSD treatment. Recent developments include:

  1. A new protocol for exposure therapy, called written exposure therapy (WET).
  2. Increased focus on group therapy for veterans with PTSD.
  3. Recognition that the incorporating the principles of trauma informed care into all forms of PTSD treatment is an essential component of success.

The VA allocates resources to researching PTSD because that’s why we know about the disorder. Initially observed in Civil War veterans, doctors gradually understood that PTSD can develop as a natural response to the trauma of combat. As veterans returned from combat in WWI, WWII, Korea, and Vietnam, the reality of PTSD became impossible to ignore.

The American Medical Association (AMA) plays an important role in PTSD treatment and research, as well. In an article about new treatments for PTSD, the AMA describes the process – and success – of an accelerated PTSD treatment program called The Road Home.

Before we dive into the details about this new approach, let’s take a moment to get on the same page about PTSD.

PTSD and Trauma: Facts and Figures

In 2026, we know that PTSD can develop after any traumatic experience, including, but not limited to:

  • Living through and/or experiencing war
  • Emotional, sexual, or physical abuse during childhood
  • Emotional, physical, and sexual abuse at any time during life
  • Witnessing/being victim of domestic violence
  • Witnessing neighborhood violence
  • Severe accident, illness, disease, or injury
  • Surviving natural disasters such as floods, hurricanes, wildfires

We also know that while civilians and combat veterans can develop PTSD, rates among veterans are consistently higher than those in the general population. We’ll share the latest prevalence data below.

First, among civilians:

  • Past-year PTSD diagnosis: 5%
  • Ever diagnosed with PTSD: 6%
    • Women: 8%
    • Men: 4%

Next, among veterans:

  • Ever diagnosed with PTSD: 7%
    • Women: 13%
    • Men: 6%
  • By service era:
    • Iraq II (Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom):
      • Past year: 15%
      • Ever diagnosed: 29%
    • Iraq I (Desert Storm):
      • Past year: 14%
      • Ever diagnosed: 21%
    • Vietnam:
      • Past year: 5%
      • Ever diagnosed: 10%
    • World War II and Korean War:
      • Past year: 2%
      • Ever diagnosed: 3%

Our knowledge of PTSD tells us that all the people represented as percentages in the data above were at increased risk of chronic health issues, addiction, problems with relationships, and difficulty with work, school and family. The symptoms of PTSD they may experience or have experienced include flashbacks to the traumatic event, fear of anything related to the traumatic event, extreme actions to avoid reminders of the traumatic event, depression, anger management issues, and suicidality, e.g. thinking about, talking about, or planning suicide.

Now let’s review the basics of trauma informed care, which is a foundational component of one of the new treatments for PTSD we mention above, The Road Home.

Trauma Informed Care and PSTD

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) established best practices in trauma-informed care over 10 years ago. These best practices are the foundation of what we call trauma-informed care.

Trauma-Informed Care: Core Guidelines

  1. Understanding the impact of trauma and the significant disruption and distress caused by trauma.
  2. Recognizing how trauma may appear in an individual and understanding trauma may appear in different ways in different people.
  3. Avoiding re-traumatization during the therapeutic process.

Here are the six principles of trauma informed care, derived from those three core guidelines:

Trauma Informed Care: Six Principles

  1. Safety. When a patient feels safe in sharing emotions and personal details and safe from re-traumatization, they’re more likely to engage in the treatment process.
  2. Trust. When a patient trusts their therapist and believes they’re being transparent, open, and honest, they’re more likely to share the essential details that can help them heal.
  3. Peer Support. Engaging in group sessions with patients with similar backgrounds – i.e. veterans in veteran’s groups, survivors of abuse in abuse survivors’ groups – increases both treatment engagement and treatment retention.
  4. Collaboration. Therapists understand that engaging in a cooperative decision-making process during treatment is essential, and that successful collaboration relies on mutually reciprocated trust.
  5. Empowerment. The trust we refer to in #4 must translate to a commitment on the part of the provider to listen and value the input of each individual, and understand that the patient is the expert on their experience. Their voice is the most important voice in the room, and their choices guide treatment. In the context of trauma-informed care, evidence shows that when providers follow the lead of the patient, outcomes improve.
  6. Cultural, History, and Gender. Every individual is a product of their personal experiences, which include their family history, norms associated with their home culture, norms associated with their current culture, historical/social factors, and the way they choose to live their life and express their identity. The trauma informed provider recognizes it’s possible to build bridges across diverse backgrounds and validates the role these differences play in the healing process.

Now let’s look at The Road Home, one of the new treatments for PTSD that follows the guidelines and principles of trauma-informed care.

The Road Home: An Accelerated PTSD Treatment Approach

One problem with PTSD treatment, particularly among veterans, is treatment adherence, i.e. getting patients to stay in a program for the entire duration. In many PTSD treatment programs, the dropout rates are high, with an average dropout rate of 15 to 20 percent.

We understand. PTSD treatment is challenging, and spending several months working on processing memories a patient may have avoided for years can be physically, psychologically, and emotionally exhausting.

That’s a primary reason for developing an accelerated approach to treatment, according to Dr. Kevin Hiner of Rush University Medical Center, who participates in a program sponsored by the Wounded Warrior Project Care Network.

The accelerated treatment program condenses several months of treatment into two weeks. Participating in therapy every day can decrease the avoidance behaviors characteristic of PTSD, helps patients solidify the lessons they learned the day before, and allows them to carry this momentum to the next day and the next session. The accumulation of knowledge and skills in a short time, while practicing them with their counselor and peers, can help patients develop real tools and apply them immediately when they return to their daily lives.

Here’s how the program works.

The Road Home: A New Protocol for Veterans with PTSD

  • Follows an intensive outpatient model (IOP):
    • Patients engage in treatment every weekday from 7:00 am to 5:30 pm
    • Patients participate in two (2) one-on-one therapy sessions per day with the same therapist
  • Delivers only evidence-based PTSD treatments:
    • Individual sessions apply cognitive processing therapy (CPT), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and prolonged exposure therapy (PE)
    • Prioritizes group therapy sessions in addition to individual therapy sessions
    • Promotes peer input and engagement
    • Focuses on practical skill development
  • Includes complementary support:
    • Wellness activities
    • Mindfulness
    • Stress management/reduction
    • Acupuncture
  • Provides medical consultation for:
    • Traumatic brain injury
    • Medication management
    • Chronic pain

Dr. Hiner offers more insight on the program and why it works:

“Frequency and structure of this approach have really helped reduce dropout rates…It helps minimize avoidance, which is often a significant feature of PTSD, and allows our patients to build momentum and see progress very quickly.”

We’ll discuss this program further, below.

How This Information Helps Our Patients

Most new treatments for PTSD over the past twenty years have come from studies on combat veterans. However, it’s important to realize two things when we mention that fact:

  1. Most veterans don’t develop PTSD after their military service.
  2. Millions of non-veterans develop PTSD after traumatic experiences.
  3. The techniques developed for veterans also work for non-veterans, g. victims of abuse, assault, childhood neglect, and other traumatic events.

Therefore, it’s likely the success of this program and protocol can translate directly to non-veteran populations. Treatment centers around the country can consider developing intensive outpatient (IOP) programs that condense PTSD treatment, accelerate the learning curve for practical skill development, and help patients resistant to treatment make positive gains more quickly than in traditional programs.

In addition, when patients can experience success and symptom relief, they’re more likely to continue therapy. When patients finish an immersive IOP – and it helps – they may commit to weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly therapy to ensure ongoing emotional and psychological wellness. They may also share their positive experiences with peers, and inform them that evidence-based treatment for PTSD – cognitive processing therapy (CPT), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), prolonged exposure therapy (PE), and others – can help reduce PTSD symptoms and improve functioning across all areas of life, including family, peers, relationships, work, and school.

About Angus Whyte

Angus Whyte has an extensive background in neuroscience, behavioral health, adolescent development, and mindfulness, including lab work in behavioral neurobiology and a decade of writing articles on mental health and mental health treatment. In addition, Angus brings twenty years of experience as a yoga teacher and experiential educator to his work for Crownview. He’s an expert at synthesizing complex concepts into accessible content that helps patients, providers, and families understand the nuances of mental health treatment, with the ultimate goal of improving outcomes and quality of life for all stakeholders.