title: Group therapy with male asylum seekers and refugees with posttraumatic stress disorder: a controlled comparison cohort study of three day-treatment programs.
abstract: Studies on group treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in asylum seekers and refugees are scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of three different trauma-focused day-treatment group programs for treatment of PTSD in male asylum seekers and refugees. Three treatment groups (n = 56) and a waitlisted control group (n = 16) of help-seeking Iranian and Afghani patients were assessed with a set of self-rated symptom checklists for PTSD, anxiety, depression, and psychoticism 1 week before and 2 weeks after treatment. There are no indications that the 2 days' group program with three nonverbal and two group psychotherapy sessions per week is less effective in reducing symptoms than the program with the same amount of sessions spread over 3 days per week. The trauma-focused day-treatment group seems a promising approach for treatment of PTSD among asylum seekers and refugees in industrialized settings.
authors.affiliation: Psychotrauma Centrum Zuid Nederland, Reinier van Arkel groep, Bethaniestraat 10, Den Bosch, the Netherlands. drozdek@worldonline.nl
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Drožđek
authors.forename: Astrid M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Kamperman
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bolwerk
authors.forename: Wietse A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Tol
authors.forename: Rolf J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Kleber
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group; D012036:Refugees / Q000523:psychology*; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014850:Waiting Lists