Psychiatry Research
Volume 264, 2018, Pages 217-223

Long-term treatment effect of trauma-affected refugees with flexible cognitive behavioural therapy and antidepressants (Article)

Buhmann C.B.* , Nordentoft M. , Ekstroem M. , Carlsson J. , Mortensen E.L.
  • a Competence Center for Transcultural Psychiatry, Mental Health Center Ballerup, Ballerup, Denmark
  • b Mental Health Center Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
  • c Competence Center for Transcultural Psychiatry, Mental Health Center Ballerup, Ballerup, Denmark
  • d Competence Center for Transcultural Psychiatry, Mental Health Center Ballerup, Ballerup, Denmark
  • e University of Copenhagen, Department of Public Health and Center for Healthy Aging, Copenhagen, Denmark

Abstract

Few studies exist on the long-term effect of treatment of trauma-affected refugees. The purpose of this study was to estimate the long-term treatment effects of cognitive behavioural therapy and antidepressants (sertraline and mianserin) in trauma-affected refugees. Follow-ups were conducted 6 and 18 months after a randomised controlled clinical trial. The included patients were refugees with war-related traumatic experiences, PTSD and without psychotic disorders. We found a small improvement over time in PTSD, depression and anxiety symptoms and level of functioning, but the improvement was not associated with any specific treatment. Personality change after catastrophic experiences and life events influenced the symptom level at all follow-ups while depression at completion of treatment was associated with a steeper decline in symptom load at the follow-ups. In spite of the limited decline in symptom scores and treatment effects immediately after treatment, the condition of the treated trauma-affected refugees was significantly improved 6 and 18 months after treatment although the improvement was small. © 2018 Elsevier B.V.

Author Keywords

Refugees Antidepressives Psychotherapy PTSD trauma

Index Keywords

treatment response depression refugee long term care Follow-Up Studies follow up human Refugees middle aged life event war controlled study time factor cognitive behavioral therapy priority journal Time Factors randomized controlled trial procedures Humans psychology Treatment Outcome male female sertraline Antidepressive Agents mianserin crossover procedure symptom Cross-Over Studies Article major clinical study adult posttraumatic stress disorder Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic Personality antidepressant agent therapy effect
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85045203690&doi=10.1016%2fj.psychres.2018.03.069&partnerID=40&md5=9e73e869671c4c87f9fc17cfef725d8a
DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2018.03.069
ISSN: 01651781
Cited by: 2
Original Language: English