Cited by 49Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ResearchPsychotherapy Techniques and ApplicationsAnxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes

Systematic Review of the Efficacy of Cognitive-Behavior Therapy Related Treatments for Victims of Natural Disasters: A Worldwide Problem

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Lopes, Alessandra Pereira, Macedo, Tânia Fagundes, Coutinho, Evandro Silva Freire, Figueira, Ivan, Ventura, Paula Rui·2014·PLoS ONE

Abstract

Natural disasters can have devastating consequences. Each year, about 225 million people are victims of natural disasters worldwide, and up to 13,5 million of these people can develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the first or second year following the disaster. Cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) is the first-choice treatment for this disorder. In order to evaluate the efficacy of psychotherapeutic treatment based on cognitive-behavior therapy for people who developed post traumatic stress disorder after natural disasters we conducted a systematic search of published studies. We used the terms reported below in the electronic databases ISI Web of Science, PsycINFO, PubMed, PILOTS and Scopus with no restrictions of language or publication date. Articles that described randomized controlled, non-randomized controlled and non controlled studies on the efficacy of cognitive-behavior therapy for individuals diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after exposure to a natural disaster were eligible for inclusion. The studies were required to use a standardized measure of effectiveness before and after the intervention and have a group of patients who had used cognitive-behavior therapy as the only intervention. Our search identified 820 studies, and 11 were selected for this review. These 11 studies involved 742 subjects, 10 related to earthquakes and 1 to a hurricane. The cognitive-behavior therapy techniques used were various: 7 studies used exposure therapy, 2 studies used problem solving, and the only 2 studies with adolescents used techniques including reconstructions and reprocessing of the traumatic experience. As limitations, the search involved only five electronic databases, no experts in the field were consulted, and the heterogeneity of the findings made it impossible to perform a meta-analysis. The results suggest the efficacy of cognitive-behavior therapy, particularly exposure techniques, for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder after earthquakes. However, further studies with stronger methodologies, i.e. randomized-control trials and non-randomized controlled trials, are needed.

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  1. [24]Ferdos G, Seyed-Hossein S (2007) The effectiveness of problem solving skills in decreasing PTSD symptoms in survivors of Bam earthquake. Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences 23 5: 736– 740.

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Authors
Lopes, A. P., Macedo, T. F., Coutinho, E. S. F., Figueira, I., & Ventura, P. R.
Affiliations
Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (BR)
Corresponding author
Lopes, Alessandra Pereira
Venue
PLoS ONE
Published
2014-10-08
Volume
9
Issue
10
Pages
e109013
ISSN
1932-6203 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2067146376
Cited by
49
References
43
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 1
FWCI
0.30
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • PLoS ONE (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
Keywords
cognitive behavioral therapy, post-traumatic stress disorder, natural disasters, earthquake survivors, exposure therapy, problem-solving therapy, trauma-focused psychotherapy, treatment efficacy, hurricane survivors, adolescents
MeSH terms
Clinical Trials as Topic, Humans, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

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