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Background: With an annual prevalence of 0.9–2.6%, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is very common in clinical practice across Europe. Despite the fact that evidence-based interventions have been developed, there is no evidence on their implementation in clinical practice and in national psychiatric training programmes. Objective and method: The Early Career Psychiatrists Committee of the European Psychiatric Association conducted a survey in 23 European countries to explore implementation of evidence-based interventions for PTSD and training options. Results: The findings indicate that pharmacotherapy was available in the majority of the participating countries (n=19, 82.8%). However, psychological interventions were much less widespread. For example, psychoeducation was widely available in 52% of the countries (n=12), cognitive-behavioural therapy in 26.2% (n=6), and specific trauma-focused techniques were rarely available. Training on PTSD was part of the official training in 13 countries (56.5%), predominantly in the form of theoretical seminars. Conclusions: Overall, this survey indicates that the treatment for PTSD is largely focused on pharmacotherapy, with psychological evidence-based interventions poorly available, especially outside specialized centres. Poor implementation is linked to the lack of official training in evidence-based interventions for psychiatric trainees across Europe.

Background: With an annual prevalence of 0.9-2.6%, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is very common in clinical practice across Europe. Despite the fact that evidence-based interventions have been developed, there is no evidence on their implementation in clinical practice and in national psychiatric training programmes. Objective and method: The Early Career Psychiatrists Committee of the European Psychiatric Association conducted a survey in 23 European countries to explore implementation of evidence-based interventions for PTSD and training options. Results: The findings indicate that pharmacotherapy was available in the majority of the participating countries (n=19, 82.8%). However, psychological interventions were much less widespread. For example, psychoeducation was widely available in 52% of the countries (n=12), cognitive-behavioural therapy in 26.2% (n=6), and specific trauma-focused techniques were rarely available. Training on PTSD was part of the official training in 13 countries (56.5%), predominantly in the form of theoretical seminars. Conclusions: Overall, this survey indicates that the treatment for PTSD is largely focused on pharmacotherapy, with psychological evidence-based interventions poorly available, especially outside specialized centres. Poor implementation is linked to the lack of official training in evidence-based interventions for psychiatric trainees across Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]