Stabilizing group treatment for Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder related to childhood abuse based on psycho-education and cognitive behavioral therapy: A pilot study
Abstract
Objective This study tests a Stabilizing Group Treatment protocol, designed for the management of the long-term sequelae of child abuse, that is, Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (Complex PTSD). Evidence-based treatment for this subgroup of PTSD patients is largely lacking. This stabilizing treatment aims at improving Complex PTSD using psycho-education and cognitive behavioral interventions. Method Thirty-six patients with a history of childhood abuse, Complex PTSD and severe co-morbidity entered a 20-week treatment with pre-, post-, and follow-up-assessments. Results Improvement was found for PTSD and borderline symptoms. Post-treatment 64% and after 6 months 78% of patients no longer met criteria for Complex PTSD. Conclusions This open study indicates both the feasibility of investigating treatment outcome and the initial efficacy of stabilizing group treatment in severely ill patients with Complex PTSD related to childhood abuse.
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Prior research has suggested that short-term therapies may not be effective for populations exposed to ongoing trauma or multiple severe traumas.
“Prior research has suggested that short-term therapies may not be effective for populations exposed to ongoing trauma or multiple severe traumas.37,38”
From Controlled trial of psychotherapy for Congolese survivors of sexual violence (2013) · cites this paper as [38]
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“…interpersonal process groups, quantitative studies of group treatments for trauma point to the efficacy of group treatments regardless of their structure or focus for the sexual trauma survivor population (Dorrepaal et al., 2010; Dunn et al., 2007; Lubin et al., 1998; Tourigny & Herbert, 2007).”
BackgroundResultInfluential
- Authors
- Dorrepaal, E., Thomaes, K., Smit, J. H., van Balkom, A. J. L. M., van Dyck, R., Veltman, D. J., & Draijer, N.
- Affiliations
- Amsterdam Public Health (NL)
- GGZ inGeest (NL)
- Corresponding author
- Dorrepaal, Ethy
- Venue
- Child Abuse & Neglect
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2010-04
- Volume
- 34
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 284-288
- ISSN
- 0145-2134 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2155672151
- Cited by
- 60
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2025: 3 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 8 · 2012: 8
- FWCI
- 7.39
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Child Abuse & Neglect (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Pure Amsterdam UMC (publishedVersion)
- Digital Academic REpository of VU University Amsterdam (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) (submittedVersion)
- VU Research Portal (submittedVersion)
- Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Abuse and Trauma
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychoanalysis and Psychopathology Research
- Keywords
- complex PTSD, childhood abuse, psychoeducation, cognitive behavioral therapy, borderline symptoms, comorbidities, treatment efficacy
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Child, Child Abuse, Child Abuse, Sexual, Feasibility Studies, Female, Humans, Patient Education as Topic, Personality Inventory, Pilot Projects, Psychotherapy, Group, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Treatment Outcome
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