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Group Therapy for Patients with Chronic Trauma-Related Stress Disorders
Wallis, D.A.N. (2002). Reduction of trauma symptoms following group therapy. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 36, 67-74.
Schnurr, P.P., Friedman, MJ., Foy, D.W., Shea, M.T., Hsieh, F.Y., Lavori, P.W., Glynn, S.M., Wattenberg, M., & Bernardy, N.C. (2003). Randomized trial of trauma-focused group therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder: Results from a Department of Veterans Affairs cooperative study. Archives of General Psychiatry, 60, 481-489.
People experiencing severe traumatic events have a variety of stress responses that can be unpleasant and disabling. If treated early, such responses can be ameliorated. However, if one lets the symptoms and signs linger for years, treatment becomes problematic. Disruptions in school, work, and family can result, creating additional difficulties such as dysphoria, antisocial behavior, and substance abuse. Thus, it is important to develop effective treatment strategies for dealing with the vicissitudes of earlier traumatic events. As suggested by the two studies reviewed below, group therapy offers one such treatment approach.
The first study, by Wallis (2002), examined the effectiveness of group therapy in reducing trauma symptoms induced by early childhood abuse and neglect. Eighty-three adult patients who were referred for treatment of childhood trauma to a special group therapy program at six community mental health centers in New South Wales, Australia served as subjects in the study. Sixty-six of these patients (50 women/16 men) received the group therapy treatment while 17 (14 women/3 men) were placed in a waitlist control. All patients had histories of sexual, physical, emotional, or neglect abuse as children, and their adult diagnoses consisted of posttraumatic stress disorder, dissociative disorder, or borderline personality.
Each of the treatment groups was closed to new members, led by two therapists trained to work with survivors of childhood trauma, and consisted of 12 weekly sessions. The first...