Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease
Volume 200, Issue 9, 2012, Pages 758-765

Group therapy with male asylum seekers and refugees with posttraumatic stress disorder: A controlled comparison cohort study of three day-treatment programs (Article)

Drožek B.* , Kamperman A.M. , Bolwerk N. , Tol W.A. , Kleber R.J.
  • a Psychotrauma Centrum Zuid Nederland, Reinier Van Arkel Groep, Bethaniestraat 10, 5211 LJ Den Bosch, Netherlands
  • b O3 Mental Health Care Research, Department of Psychiatry, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, Netherlands
  • c QS Gezondheidsmanagement, Utrecht-De Meern, Netherlands
  • d Global Health Initiative, Yale University, New Haven, United States
  • e Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands

Abstract

Studies on group treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in asylum seekers and refugees are scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of three different trauma-focused day-treatment group programs for treatment of PTSD in male asylum seekers and refugees. Three treatment groups (n = 56) and a waitlisted control group (n = 16) of help-seeking Iranian and Afghani patients were assessed with a set of self-rated symptom checklists for PTSD, anxiety, depression, and psychoticism 1 week before and 2 weeks after treatment. There are no indications that the 2 days' group program with three nonverbal and two group psychotherapy sessions per week is less effective in reducing symptoms than the program with the same amount of sessions spread over 3 days per week. The trauma-focused day-treatment group seems a promising approach for treatment of PTSD among asylum seekers and refugees in industrialized settings. Copyright © 2012 by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Author Keywords

Group therapy PTSD Asylum seekers Refugees

Index Keywords

anxiety Afghanistan depression refugee anxiety disorder human Refugees comorbidity middle aged psychosis Cohort Studies Psychotherapy, Group group therapy controlled study Aged psychiatric diagnosis cognitive therapy Iran asylum seeker Humans Treatment Outcome Waiting Lists male psychodynamics topiramate Article help seeking behavior major clinical study adult posttraumatic stress disorder Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic serotonin uptake inhibitor quetiapine DSM-IV miscellaneous named groups
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84865865293&doi=10.1097%2fNMD.0b013e318266f860&partnerID=40&md5=071ac93083b40c028fd62d00a5d4b7fe
DOI: 10.1097/NMD.0b013e318266f860
ISSN: 00223018
Cited by: 12
Original Language: English