Comparative Efficacy of Cognitive Behavioral and Mindfulness Therapies in Reducing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Among Interpersonal Violence Survivors

Interpersonal/domestic violence is a major public health concern that is associated witha high prevalence of post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other adverse mentalhealth outcomes. Although Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Mindfulness‐BasedTherapy (MBT) have each demonstrated effectiveness in reducing PTSD symptoms, fewrandomized controlled trials have directly compared their relative efficacy amongsurvivors of interpersonal violence, particularly in low‐ and middle‐income settings.This study addresses this evidence gap by evaluating and comparing CBT and MBT using arandomized controlled trial design.This is a parallel‐group randomized controlled trial with three study arms: (1) CognitiveBehavioral Therapy (CBT), (2) Mindfulness‐Based Therapy (MBT), and (3) psychoeducation asan active control. Approximately 60 adult survivors of interpersonal/domestic violencewho meet DSM‐5 criteria for PTSD following screening and diagnostic assessment will berandomly assigned in equal numbers to one of the three intervention groups. Participantswill complete baseline, post‐intervention, and follow‐up assessments.The primary objective is to compare the effectiveness of CBT, MBT, and psychoeducation inreducing PTSD symptom severity. Secondary objectives include evaluating changes inemotion regulation, mindfulness, perceived stress, and other related psychologicaloutcomes following the interventions. The study hypothesizes that both CBT and MBT willproduce greater reductions in PTSD symptoms than psychoeducation, while also examiningwhether one active intervention demonstrates superior effectiveness for specific PTSDsymptom domains and psychological outcomes.The findings will contribute to the evidence base for trauma‐informed psychologicalinterventions and may inform clinical practice by identifying effective, culturallyrelevant treatment approaches for survivors of interpersonal/domestic violence.