<P> The psychotherapy approaches with the strongest demonstrated efficacy include cognitive behavioral therapy, prolonged exposure therapy, cognitive therapy (CT), cognitive processing therapy, and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). </P> <P> A meta - analytic comparison of EMDR and cognitive behavioral therapy found both protocols indistinguishable in terms of effectiveness in treating PTSD; however, "the contribution of the eye movement component in EMDR to treatment outcome" is unclear . A meta - analysis in children and adolescent also found that EMDR was as efficacious as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). </P> <P> Furthermore, the availability of school - based therapy is particularly important for children with PTSD . Children with PTSD are far more likely to pursue treatment at school (because of its proximity and ease) than at a free clinic . </P> <P> CBT seeks to change the way a person feels and acts by changing the patterns of thinking or behavior, or both, responsible for negative emotions . CBT has been proven to be an effective treatment for PTSD and is currently considered the standard of care for PTSD by the United States Department of Defense . In CBT, individuals learn to identify thoughts that make them feel afraid or upset and replace them with less distressing thoughts . The goal is to understand how certain thoughts about events cause PTSD - related stress . </P>

When was post traumatic stress disorder first recognized