Psychotherapy efficient in treating post-traumatic stress dysfunction following a number of traumatic occasions, meta-study finds

The efficacy of psychotherapeutic interventions for treating PTSD in adults has been well-documented in varied research. Nevertheless, till now, it had not been established whether or not the efficacy of psychotherapeutic interventions varies relying on whether or not the dysfunction is attributable to one single occasion — for instance, a site visitors accident — or by a number of traumatic occasions reminiscent of throughout warfare or repeated incidents of sexual or bodily violence. The meta-analysis, carried out based mostly on information from round 10,600 sufferers, has now been printed within the journal Lancet Psychiatry.

On this examine, the crew of researchers — which additionally included Prof Richard Meiser-Stedman from the College of East Anglia (UK), Dr Ahlke Kip from the College of Münster, and Prof Marianne Skogbrott Birkeland from the Analysis Centre for Violence and Traumatic Stress Research in Norway — evaluated 137 empirical articles printed over the previous 4 many years on the remedy of PTSD in adults. Nexhmedin Morina concludes: “The information present that a number of psychological interventions are extremely efficient in treating PTSD following a number of traumatic occasions — in reality, they’re about as efficient as when the PTSD follows a single trauma.” These outcomes had, thus far, solely been reported for the remedy of kids and adolescents with PTSD. Now, this examine confirms that it additionally applies within the remedy of PTSD in adults. That is “very encouraging information” for each sufferers and therapists.

Round 4 per cent of the worldwide inhabitants suffers from PTSD on account of traumatic occasions. The attribute signs of PTSD embody distressing intrusive traumatic recollections, avoidance behaviour and problem with emotional regulation. The brand new findings have implications for the medical follow and coaching of psychotherapists and psychological well being professionals extra typically.

“Our information helps take away remedy obstacles for sufferers with a historical past of a number of traumatic occasions,” says Thole Hoppen. “Along with sufferers’ worry of speaking about their traumatic experiences, some psychotherapists hesitate to instantly handle traumatic experiences throughout remedy,” he provides. “Nevertheless, trauma-focused cognitive behavioural remedy — a type of psychotherapy which helps course of the traumatic recollections — is just not solely very efficient in line with the gathered information however more practical than non-trauma-focused interventions.”

In consequence, trauma-focused cognitive behavioural remedy is the primary line of remedy really useful in nationwide and worldwide remedy pointers. Nevertheless, provides Hoppen, future analysis requires longer-term information to allow a extra strong estimation of the long-term efficacy of the remedy.