The aim of this study was to examine the influence of psychosocial stressors and demographic factors on psychopathology in asylum seekers and refugees with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) prior to participation in the Den Bosch model for group treatment, as well as to explore their influence on the treatment results. The results showed no significant differences in the mean levels of psychopathology between asylum seekers and refugees prior to treatment. There were no differences found in treatment outcomes between the two groups. Living conditions do not influence either the mean levels of psychopathology prior to treatment or the treatment effects in our sample. The participants who are living separated from their families and/or who are single show the same levels of PTSD and depressive complaints prior to and post treatment compared with participants living together with family members. Ongoing psychosocial stressors in the course of treatment had no impact on treatment outcomes. Torture survivors, war victims, and a torture/war group profited equally from group treatment effectiveness. The results suggest that the effects of group therapy with asylum seekers and refugees according to the Den Bosch model are not impacted by demographic characteristics of the participants. © The Author(s) 2010.

culture demographic variables psychosocial stressors PTSD\TBI Asylum seekers Anxiety disorders Refugees Ethnicity race group treatment

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