Stabilizing group treatment for childhood-abuse related PTSD: a randomized controlled trial
Background: Patients with PTSD related to childhood-abuse often experience additional problems such as emotional dysregulation and interpersonal difficulties. Psychotherapy focused on stabilization of symptoms, emotion-regulation, and skills training has been suggested as a treatment for this patien...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2021-01-01
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| Series: | European Journal of Psychotraumatology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2020.1859079 |
| _version_ | 1797844521925476352 |
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| author | Harald Bækkelund Ida Karlsrud Asle Hoffart Espen Ajo Arnevik |
| author_facet | Harald Bækkelund Ida Karlsrud Asle Hoffart Espen Ajo Arnevik |
| author_sort | Harald Bækkelund |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Patients with PTSD related to childhood-abuse often experience additional problems such as emotional dysregulation and interpersonal difficulties. Psychotherapy focused on stabilization of symptoms, emotion-regulation, and skills training has been suggested as a treatment for this patient population, either as preparation for further treatment or as a stand-alone intervention. Objective: The present study tests the efficacy of treatment using a group-protocol for stabilizing treatment delivered adjunct with conventional individual therapy. Methods: In a delayed-treatment design with switching replication, a clinically representative sample of 89 patients with PTSD and histories of childhood abuse were randomly assigned to either 20-week stabilizing group treatment or a corresponding waiting-period, both adjunct with conventional individual therapy. After the waiting-period, patients in the control condition were offered group treatment. The primary outcome was psychosocial functioning, measured with interview – assessed Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF), while secondary outcome was self-reported PTSD symptoms. These were measured before treatment, after treatment and at 6 months follow up. The trial was preregistered at Clinical Trials (NCT02450617). Results: We found large within-group effect sizes in both conditions on GAF and moderate effects on PTSD symptoms. Linear mixed-models did not indicate significant differences in treatment trajectories between conditions. Conclusion: Stabilizing group treatment focused on emotional-regulation and skills-training does not improve outcomes beyond individual-treatment alone, and should not be recommended as first-line treatment for this patient-group |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T17:24:54Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5e06459e7ebe44908f957b6dc4cdd551 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2000-8066 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T17:24:54Z |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Journal of Psychotraumatology |
| spelling | doaj.art-5e06459e7ebe44908f957b6dc4cdd5512023-04-18T14:59:09ZengTaylor & Francis GroupEuropean Journal of Psychotraumatology2000-80662021-01-0112110.1080/20008198.2020.18590791859079Stabilizing group treatment for childhood-abuse related PTSD: a randomized controlled trialHarald Bækkelund0Ida Karlsrud1Asle Hoffart2Espen Ajo Arnevik3Research Institute, Modum BadResearch Institute, Modum BadResearch Institute, Modum BadOslo University HospitalBackground: Patients with PTSD related to childhood-abuse often experience additional problems such as emotional dysregulation and interpersonal difficulties. Psychotherapy focused on stabilization of symptoms, emotion-regulation, and skills training has been suggested as a treatment for this patient population, either as preparation for further treatment or as a stand-alone intervention. Objective: The present study tests the efficacy of treatment using a group-protocol for stabilizing treatment delivered adjunct with conventional individual therapy. Methods: In a delayed-treatment design with switching replication, a clinically representative sample of 89 patients with PTSD and histories of childhood abuse were randomly assigned to either 20-week stabilizing group treatment or a corresponding waiting-period, both adjunct with conventional individual therapy. After the waiting-period, patients in the control condition were offered group treatment. The primary outcome was psychosocial functioning, measured with interview – assessed Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF), while secondary outcome was self-reported PTSD symptoms. These were measured before treatment, after treatment and at 6 months follow up. The trial was preregistered at Clinical Trials (NCT02450617). Results: We found large within-group effect sizes in both conditions on GAF and moderate effects on PTSD symptoms. Linear mixed-models did not indicate significant differences in treatment trajectories between conditions. Conclusion: Stabilizing group treatment focused on emotional-regulation and skills-training does not improve outcomes beyond individual-treatment alone, and should not be recommended as first-line treatment for this patient-grouphttp://dx.doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2020.1859079post-traumatic stress disordergroup psychotherapy‘childhood abusetraumarandomized controlled trial |
| spellingShingle | Harald Bækkelund Ida Karlsrud Asle Hoffart Espen Ajo Arnevik Stabilizing group treatment for childhood-abuse related PTSD: a randomized controlled trial European Journal of Psychotraumatology post-traumatic stress disorder group psychotherapy ‘childhood abuse trauma randomized controlled trial |
| title | Stabilizing group treatment for childhood-abuse related PTSD: a randomized controlled trial |
| title_full | Stabilizing group treatment for childhood-abuse related PTSD: a randomized controlled trial |
| title_fullStr | Stabilizing group treatment for childhood-abuse related PTSD: a randomized controlled trial |
| title_full_unstemmed | Stabilizing group treatment for childhood-abuse related PTSD: a randomized controlled trial |
| title_short | Stabilizing group treatment for childhood-abuse related PTSD: a randomized controlled trial |
| title_sort | stabilizing group treatment for childhood abuse related ptsd a randomized controlled trial |
| topic | post-traumatic stress disorder group psychotherapy ‘childhood abuse trauma randomized controlled trial |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2020.1859079 |
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