title: A randomized trial of a reconciliation workshop with and without PTSD psychoeducation in Burundian sample.
abstract: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) psychoeducation is increasingly offered in diverse cultural settings. As the literature offers theoretical arguments for why such information might be normalizing and distress-reducing, or might risk morbid suggestion of greater vulnerability, a two-sided hypothesis was proposed to examine the specific effect of PTSD psychoeducation. Participants of a trauma healing and reconciliation intervention in Burundi were randomized to conditions with and without PTSD psychoeducation, or to a waitlist control. Both interventions reduced symptoms more than the waitlist. Participants in the condition without psychoeducation experienced a greater reduction in PTSD symptoms relative to other conditions. Findings are discussed in relationship to intervention development for traumatic stress in nonindustrialized and culturally diverse settings.
authors.affiliation: Philadelphia Veteran Affairs Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. peter.yeomans@va.gov
authors.forename: Peter D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Yeomans
authors.forename: Evan M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Forman
authors.forename: James D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Herbert
authors.forename: Erica
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yuen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002063:Burundi; D004493:Education; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012036:Refugees / Q000193:education*; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult