title: Group psychotherapy for female adult survivors of interpersonal psychological trauma: a preliminary study in Scotland.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is limited evidence on manualised group interventions that facilitate the development of trauma recovery skills, affect regulation and meaning making for survivors of interpersonal trauma.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The study aimed to provide preliminary evidence on the effectiveness of group psychotherapy (based on Trauma Recovery and Empowerment Model, TREM) for psychological distress in adult survivors of interpersonal trauma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were a consecutive series of female patients (n = 71) from the waiting lists of five National Health Service (NHS) Boards in Scotland. Participants completed a set of self-rated measures (PCL, CORE, SCL-90, DES and RSES) at baseline, mid-intervention, post-intervention and 3-month follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Effect sizes were small to medium across measures and assessment points at post-treatment and follow-up. With regard to clinical significance, at post-treatment, a proportion of 9.9% to 54.9% of participants achieved clinical significance across measures. At follow-up, a proportion of 9.9% to 62.0% of participants achieved clinical significance across measures.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Group psychotherapy may be useful for a proportion of participants and especially so for symptoms of dissociation and self-esteem. Survivors of interpersonal trauma should be offered a choice of individual or group treatment modalities to reduce drop-out rate and maximise outcomes.
authors: a Faculty of Health , Life and Social Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University , Edinburgh , UK.|b NHS Lothian, Rivers Centre for Traumatic Stress , Edinburgh , UK , and.
authors: Thanos
authors: T
authors: Karatzias
authors: b NHS Lothian, Rivers Centre for Traumatic Stress , Edinburgh , UK , and.
authors: Sandra
authors: S
authors: Ferguson
authors: a Faculty of Health , Life and Social Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University , Edinburgh , UK.
authors: Angela
authors: A
authors: Gullone
authors: c Scottish Government, Gender Based Violence Initiative , Edinburgh , UK.
authors: Katie
authors: K
authors: Cosgrove
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D054523:Adult Survivors of Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology; D018585:Battered Women / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008875:Middle Aged; D000066550:Physical Abuse / Q000523:psychology; D000067073:Psychological Trauma / Q000628:therapy*; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group / Q000379:methods*; D012606:Scotland; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000628:therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: child sexual abuse; group psychotherapy; interpersonal trauma; mental health