Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Conditions
Keywords
Course, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Narrative Exposure Therapy
Brief summary
Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) has been proven to be effective in the treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and trauma-related depression in more than a dozen controlled clinical trials. Symptom reduction was greatest during long-term follow-ups after the completion of the therapy. In the current study, we will investigate the progression of PTSD symptoms and emotional stress before, during and after therapy. After a semi-structured interview all participants will be asked to report in monthly telephone interviews their core symptoms. Structured interviews after 6 and 12 months are used to validate the outcome. A convenience sample of individuals with a PTSD will be offered participation in the study.
Detailed description
Participants will be recruited through the Center of Excellence for Psychotraumatology, University of Konstanz, with focus on refugees. All of them (approx. 100) will receive a structured interview and a detailed diagnosis. The interview includes questions about sociodemography, traumatic events, PTSD and depression symptomatology. Individuals with a PTSD diagnosis (up to 30) will be offered a Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET). Irrespective of treatment and diagnosis, respondents are asked to participate in monthly telephone interviews assessing trauma-related and emotional distress and changes in life. Interviews assessing PTSD, depression symptoms and emotional distress will be conducted 6 and 12 months after the initial interview. In addition, participants receiving NET will rate their PTSD symptoms and functionality prior to each therapy session.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALNarrative Exposure Therapy
8 - 15 sessions: 1 lifeline session, 5 - 12 sessions narrative exposure, 1-2 sessions of future-oriented counselling
Sponsors
University of Konstanz
Study design
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
12 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* For treatment group: PTSD diagnosis (DSM-IV or V) * For non-treatment group: none
Exclusion criteria
* Acute psychosis * Cerebro-organic disease * Acute drug or alcohol intoxication * Already receiving another psychotherapy * Anti-epileptic drugs at baseline
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in the progression of PTSD symptoms (PCL-5) | baseline, 3 and 6 months follow-up | PTSD symptoms are measured with the PTSD Checklist - 5 (PCL-5; Weathers, Litz, et al., 2013) |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in the progression of emotional distress symptoms (RHS-15) | up to 1 year | Emotional distress symptoms are measured with the Refugee Health Screener - 15 (RHS-15; Hollifield, et al., 2013) |
Countries
Germany
Outcome results
None listed