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Cited by 114Migration, Health and TraumaPosttraumatic Stress Disorder ResearchPsychoanalysis and Psychopathology Research

Evidence-based psychological interventions for adult survivors of torture and trauma: A 30-year review

McFarlane, Colleen A., Kaplan, Ida·2012·Transcultural Psychiatry
DOI 10.1177/1363461512447608
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Abstract

In this paper we review research evidence on psychosocial interventions for adult survivors of torture and trauma. We identified 40 studies from 1980 to 2010 that investigated interventions for adult survivors of torture and trauma. Population subtypes include resettled refugees, asylum seekers, displaced persons, and persons resident in their country of origin. Settings include specialized services for torture and trauma, specialized tertiary referral clinics, community settings, university settings, as well as psychiatric and multidisciplinary mental health services. Interventions were delivered as individual or group treatments and lasted from a single session to 19 years duration. The studies employed randomized controlled trials, nonrandomized comparison studies and single cohort follow-up studies. In all, 36 of the 40 studies (90%) demonstrated significant improvements on at least one outcome indicator after an intervention. Most studies (60%) included participants who had high levels of posttraumatic stress symptomatology. Improvements in symptoms of posttraumatic stress, depression, anxiety, and somatic symptoms were found following a range of interventions. Little evidence was available with regard to the effect on treatment outcomes of the amount, type, or length of treatment, the influence of patient characteristics, maintenance of treatment effects, and treatment outcomes other than psychiatric symptomatology. The review highlights the need for more carefully designed research that addresses the shortcomings of current studies and that integrates the experience of expert practitioners.

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Crossref · 10.1177/1363461512447608

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  • Intervention studies concerning trauma-affected refugees are still limited in number and quality, and the vast majority are on psychological interventions only.

    “While research on other groups of PTSD patients has burgeoned since, intervention studies concerning trauma-affected refugees are still limited in number and quality, and the vast majority are on psychological interventions only [12, 13].”

    From Treatment of trauma-affected refugees with venlafaxine versus sertraline combined with psychotherapy - a randomised study (2016) · cites this paper as [13]

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Authors
McFarlane, C. A., & Kaplan, I.
Affiliations
The Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Torture
Corresponding author
McFarlane, Colleen A.
Venue
Transcultural Psychiatry
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Published
2012-07
Volume
49
Issue
3-4
Pages
539-567
ISSN
  • 1363-4615 (ISSN-L)
  • 1461-7471
DOI
10.1177/1363461512447608
OpenAlex
W2317504454
Cited by
113
References
85
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 32 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 15 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 13 · 2015: 10 · 2014: 7 · 2013: 3
FWCI
7.26
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license (tdm)
Locations
  • Transcultural Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • World Health Organization
  • Myer Foundation
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Migration, Health and Trauma
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychoanalysis and Psychopathology Research
Keywords
torture survivors, trauma survivors, psychosocial interventions, post-traumatic stress disorder, refugees, asylum seekers, displaced persons, depression, anxiety, somatic symptoms, treatment outcomes, evidence-based practice
MeSH terms
Adult, Humans, Psychotherapy, Refugees, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Torture, Treatment Outcome, Survivors, Evidence-Based Practice

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