Psychotherapy
Volume 43, Issue 4, 2006, Pages 491-505

Somatic-focused therapy for traumatized refugees: Treating posttraumatic stress disorder and comorbid neck-focused panic attacks among Cambodian refugees. Special issue: Culture, race, and ethnicity in psychotherapy (Article)

Hinton D.E.* , Pich V. , Chhean D. , Safren S.A. , Pollack M.H.
  • a Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States, Southeast Asian Clinic, Arbour Counseling, MA, United States, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 15 Parkman Street, Boston, MA 02114, United States
  • b Southeast Asian Clinic, Arbour Counseling, MA, United States
  • c Southeast Asian Clinic, Arbour Counseling, MA, United States
  • d Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
  • e Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States

Abstract

The authors outline six steps to develop culturally sensitive treatment for traumatized refugees, which focus on somatic symptoms. Among Cambodian refugees with posttraumatic stress disorder, the authors describe a somatic presentation (viz., neck-focused panic attacks) that forms a key aspect of trauma-related disorder, how those panic attacks are generated, and a treatment that specifically targets those panic attacks. Evidence of treatment efficacy is provided through a multiple-baseline, across-subjects design (N = 3), and one treatment case is described to illustrate clinical presentation and treatment. Copyright 2006 by the American Psychological Association.

Author Keywords

Muscle relaxation Panic disorder posttraumatic stress disorder Cognitive-behavioral therapy Cambodian refugees

Index Keywords

cultural anthropology case report female refugee serotonin uptake inhibitor panic Cambodian Article psychotherapy human adult comorbidity posttraumatic stress disorder
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-33846065517&doi=10.1037%2f0033-3204.43.4.491&partnerID=40&md5=c6798a089572391e6ea8b71b9d8ddca4
DOI: 10.1037/0033-3204.43.4.491
ISSN: 00333204
Cited by: 18
Original Language: English