Cognitive-behavior therapy vs exposure therapy in the treatment of PTSD in refugees

• Published in: Behaviour research and therapy Vol. 39; no. 10; pp. 1183 - 1197
• Main Authors: Paunovic, Nenad, Öst, Lars-Göran
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.10.2001; Elsevier Science; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Adult; Behavior modification; Behavior therapy. Cognitive therapy; Biological and medical sciences; CBT; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; Desensitization, Psychologic; Exposure therapy; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Personality Inventory; Post traumatic stress disorder; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; PTSD; Randomization; Refugees; Refugees - psychology; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - psychology; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - therapy; Therapy; Treatment Outcome; Treatments; PTSD; Randomization; Refugees; CBT; Exposure therapy; Mood disorder; Human; Cognitive therapy; Posttraumatic syndrome; Treatment efficiency; Anxiety disorder; Depression; Refugee; Exposure; Behavior therapy; Comparative study; Stress
• DOI: 10.1016/S0005-7967(00)00093-0
• ISSN: 0005-7967

The present study investigated the efficacy of cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) and exposure therapy (E) in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in refugees. Sixteen outpatients fulfilling the DSM-IV criteria for PTSD were randomized to one of the two treatments. Assessor and self-report measures of PTSD-symptoms, generalized anxiety, depression, quality of life and cognitive schemas were administered before and after treatment, and at a 6-month follow-up. The patients were treated individually for 16–20 weekly sessions. The results showed that both treatments resulted in large improvements on all the measures, which were maintained at the follow-up. There was no difference between E and CBT on any measure. E and CBT led to a 48 and 53% reduction on PTSD-symptoms, respectively, a 49 and 50% reduction on generalized anxiety, and a 54 and 57% reduction on depression. The results were maintained at the 6-month follow-up. The conclusion that can be drawn is that both E and CBT can be effective treatments for PTSD in refugees.