| Methods |
Randomised controlled trial |
| Participants |
60 outpatients. Various traumas. DSM‐IV PTSD.(45 women, 15 men) in the USA |
| Interventions |
8 90‐minute sessions of exposure therapy (n = 22), EMDR (n = 19) or relaxation training (n = 19) (all interventions included in meta‐analyses). |
| Outcomes |
CAPS, PDS, BDI |
| Notes |
Experienced therapists delivered therapy. It is unclear whether or not treatment adherence was assessed. |
| Risk of bias |
| Bias |
Authors' judgement |
Support for judgement |
| Random sequence generation (selection bias) |
Unclear risk |
Comment: The method of sequence generation was not reported. |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) |
Unclear risk |
Comment: There is no mention of any measures taken to conceal allocation. |
| Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias)
All outcomes |
Low risk |
Comment: ITT analyses. Drop‐outs were from each group (exposure therapy (7), EMDR (4) or relaxation training (4). |
| Selective reporting (reporting bias) |
Unclear risk |
Comment: Only measures of PTSD and depression are reported. It is unclear whether any other data were collected. |
| Other bias |
Low risk |
Comment: no other sources of bias detected. |
| Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias)
All outcomes |
High risk |
Comment: Participants were aware of their allocation. |
| Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias)
All outcomes |
Low risk |
Quote: "All interviews were conducted by clinic staff, who were blind to the participants’ treatment assignment." |
