There is strong scientific evidence that STAIR helps individuals overcome many of the difficulties associated with the effects of trauma. A recent review found that among all skills-focused treatment programs, STAIR has the largest number of studies demonstrating its effectiveness in reducing PTSD and other trauma related problems.
Evaluation of STAIR includes two RCTs, one comparison study and one benchmark study. The treatment has been found effective for a variety of traumas including childhood abuse, mass violence (9/11 terrorism), and mixed trauma among those with serious mental illness (SMI) and PTSD. Preliminary data suggest its effectiveness among men and women veterans with PTSD.
There is evidence indicating that STAIR is effective when used in a group or an individual format. STAIR has been typically used sequentially preceding a modified version of prolonged exposure, now called Narrative Story Telling. Results of the sequential studies indicate that STAIR alone is efficacious. However, the most powerful results have been obtained when STAIR is used followed by exposure therapy. One of the advantages of STAIR is that it can be used alone or in a stepwise fashion where patients who need or want more treatment can proceed to and benefit from exposure therapy.
Therapists and clients report they like STAIR because it provides practical skills in managing day-to-day life problems and focuses directly on problems such as relationship difficulties and emotion management problems that are not directly addressed in other trauma treatments.
