Physical aggression toward spouses and offspring is not uncommon. Wives may be especially burdened by concurrently caring for their husbands while protecting themselves and their children from his hostility. Summarized over the past five years, our results indicate that veterans who participate in BFT after individual directed therapeutic exposure demonstrate approximately twice the reduction of PTSD reexperiencing and hyperarousal symptoms, compared to those participating in exposure alone. A Description Of The Intervention BFT is conducted with the patient and at least one other relative, who agrees to attend regularly.
Most veterans identify a spouse or person with whom they co-habit as their primary relative.
In such a case, after the formal communication and problem-solving skills training has been completed, the later sessions can be devoted to these problems and are attended only by that family subset. BFT is conducted in five stages, which are described below. In a family session, the goals and expectations of both the therapist and the family are discussed. Basic information about the etiology, prevalence, symptoms, and treatment of PTSD is presented to the veteran and family. The aim here is to encourage the family to convene regular family meetings to discuss problems and goals in a frank and open manner.