How Is Trauma-Focused Therapy Experienced By Adults With PTSD? A Systematic Review Of Qualitative Studies

Course overview

Course Description: This course is based on material published in BMC Psychology and is available as an open-access article. Trauma-focused therapies (TFTs) are first-line treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, TFTs are under-utilized, partly due to clinicians' and patients' fear that TFT is too challenging or harmful. We review the qualitative studies on how adults with PTSD experience TFTs to enhance the understanding of user perspectives, therapeutic processes, and outcomes. PubMed, PsychINFO and PTSDPubs were searched between October 1st and November 30th, 2021. Study quality assessments were undertaken, and studies were analyzed using a descriptive-interpretative approach. Nine studies were included. The analysis resulted in the identification of four key domains, representing a temporal sequence of TFT stages: Overcoming ambivalence towards TFT, Experience of treatment elements, Motivation for dropout/retention, and Perceived changes post-treatment. Although many participants reported high levels of distress and considered dropping out, only a minority did eventually drop out and most patients expressed that the hardships in therapy were necessary for PTSD improvement. Establishing a safe therapeutic environment and working with the ambivalence towards treatment was essential for retention. This review serves a dual purpose, to shed light on diverse TFT experiences found to be important for treatment satisfaction, and to elucidate common treatment patterns. The results can be used in pre-paring patients for therapy and in training TFT therapists. Studies had moderate to high quality, and more studies of experiences of TFT non-responders and dropouts in a non-veteran population are needed to further our understanding of the utility and limitations of TFTs. This course on the experiences of adults with PTSD in trauma-focused therapy is designed for clinical social workers, psychologists, professional counselors, nurses, and substance abuse counselors who do clinical work. This course is appropriate for intermediate and advanced-level practitioners who wish to develop their expertise with the experiences of adults with PTSD in trauma-focused therapy. The course material includes a literature review of interventions and research. It may also be useful for licensed clinicians who require continuing clinical education courses for license renewal. The course is based on a journal article that includes research. It contains statistical analysis and data that some clinicians enjoy reading and others do not. A significant benefit of reading peer-reviewed research-based articles for continuing education is that they provide practitioners with the latest findings in their field. Authors: Gjerstad, Nordin, Poulsen, Spadaro, Palic Learning Objectives: This course will provide the practitioner with detailed information regarding the experiences of adults with PTSD in trauma-focused therapy. Specifically, a professional will: Identify the mechanisms, benefits, and limitations of trauma-focused therapy. Describe the experiences of people with PTSD in trauma-focused therapy. Recognize clinical implications of trauma-focused therapy. Citation: Gjerstad, S. F., Nordin, L., Poulsen, S., Spadaro, E. F. A., & Palic, S. (2024). How is trauma-focused therapy experienced by adults with PTSD? A systematic review of qualitative studies. BMC psychology, 12(1), 135. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-024-01588-x