title: A comparison of Narrative Exposure Therapy and Prolonged Exposure therapy for PTSD.
abstract: The purpose of this review was to compare and contrast Prolonged Exposure (PE) and Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET). We examined the treatment manuals to describe the theoretical foundation, treatment components, and procedures, including the type, manner, and focus of exposure techniques and recording methods used. We examined extant clinical trials to investigate the range of treatment formats reported, populations studied, and clinical outcome data. Our search resulted in 32 studies on PE and 15 studies on NET. Consistent with prior reviews of PTSD treatment, it is evident that PE has a solid evidence base and its current status as a first line treatment for the populations studied to this date is warranted. We argue that NET may have advantages in treating complex traumatization seen in asylum seekers and refugees, and for this population NET should be considered a recommended treatment. NET and PE have several commonalities, and it is recommended that studies of these treatments include a broader range of populations and trauma types to expand the current knowledge on the treatment of PTSD.
authors.affiliation: The Faculty of Psychology, University of Bergen, Norway.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mørkved
authors.affiliation: The Faculty of Psychology, University of Bergen, Norway.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hartmann
authors.affiliation: The Faculty of Psychology, University of Bergen, Norway.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Aarsheim
authors.affiliation: The Faculty of Psychology, University of Bergen, Norway.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Holen
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Medical Psychology, University of Bergen, Norway; Regional Resource Centre on Violence, Traumatic Stress and Suicide Prevention, Health Bergen, Norway.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Milde
authors.affiliation: SDSU/UCSD Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, 6363 Alvarado Ct., Suite 103, San Diego, CA 92120 USA; Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, VA San Diego Healthcare System, 3350 La Jolla Village Drive (116A), San Diego, CA 92161 USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bomyea
authors.affiliation: SDSU/UCSD Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, 6363 Alvarado Ct., Suite 103, San Diego, CA 92120 USA; Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, VA San Diego Healthcare System, 3350 La Jolla Village Drive (116A), San Diego, CA 92161 USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive (0851), La Jolla, CA 92093, USA. Electronic address: sthorp@ucsd.edu.
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Thorp
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007171:Implosive Therapy / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D062525:Narrative Therapy / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000628:therapy*
keywords: Narrative Exposure Therapy; Posttraumatic Stress Disorder; Prolonged Exposure; Review; Trauma