Immunological Changes Through Narrative Treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Torture Victims

University of Konstanz

Status: Completed

Conditions: PTSD

Treatments: Behavioral: NET

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01206790

NET-2010-KN

Details and patient eligibility

About

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with poor health, high health care utilization, and an increased risk for a variety of somatic, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Research, including our own findings, indicates immunological alterations in PTSD patients. The aim of this study is to investigate whether alterations in the immune system of PTSD patients are reversible through a trauma-specific short-term therapy (Narrative Exposure Therapy).

Enrollment: 47 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 16 to 60 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• PTSD diagnosis
• experiences of organized violence/torture

Exclusion criteria

• psychotic disorder
• chronic inflammatory diseases

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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47 participants in 2 patient groups

Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET)

Experimental group

Treatment:

Behavioral: NET

Waitinglist Control Group

No Intervention group