SynthesisBMC psychology2024
How is trauma-focused therapy experienced by adults with PTSD? A systematic review of qualitative studies.
Synthesis in BMC psychology, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 22 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
22 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Pooled it
- Effects of Intravenous Ketamine on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): A Systematic Review.Acta psychiatrica Scandinavica · 2026Pooled it
- Clients' experiences of psychotherapeutic interventions addressing trauma.Psychology and psychotherapy · 2025Pooled it
- Doing the groundwork at home, working through it together: patient experiences of blended cognitive therapy for PTSD in routine care.European journal of psychotraumatology · 2026Trial
- "The world does not look the same anymore": The experiences of patients six months after finishing an intensive trauma treatment program.BMC psychology · 2025Trial
- Dropout From Trauma-Focused Treatment for Intimate Partner Violence Against Women.Clinical psychology & psychotherapyTrial
- Role of baseline emotion dysregulation and perceived daily stress in adherence to and completion of narrative exposure therapy among forced migrants.European journal of psychotraumatology · 2026Observational
- Assessing trauma in refugees using ITEM and ITI: clinician's reported challenges and ethical-professional considerations.European journal of psychotraumatology · 2026Article
- The Impact of "Harmful Behaviours" on Parents of Autistic Children.Autism : the international journal of research and practice · 2026Article
- Therapy-facilitated integration responsibility: qualitative interviews with refugee psychotherapy clients in Germany.BMC psychiatry · 2026Article
- Implementing PROMs where care is complex: lessons from trauma-focused mental health services for refugees.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Article
- "They are no longer really flashbacks; they are memories": a qualitative study of women's experiences of a brief intervention targeting childbirth-related intrusive memories.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Mindfulness Intervention for Navigating and Decreasing Stress (MINDS-V): Effectiveness of a Tailored Trauma-Informed Mental Health Intervention for Australian Veterans.Military medicine · 2026Article
- Tai chi in mental health interventions: a narrative review comparing its role with pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Review
- Reliable symptom worsening among veterans receiving cognitive processing therapy or prolonged exposure therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder in routine Veterans Health Administration care.Journal of affective disorders · 2025Article
- PTSD and complex PTSD, current treatments and debates: a review of reviews.British medical bulletin · 2025Review
- Mental Health and Massage Therapy for Refugees, Immigrants, and Asylum Seekers.International journal of therapeutic massage & bodywork · 2025Article
- How do transgender young people experience talking about trauma with services?Clinical child psychology and psychiatry · 2025Article
- A narrative review on emerging issues about war-related trauma in perinatal women: good practice for assessment, prevention, and treatment.Archives of women's mental health · 2025Review
- Stabilization interventions in the treatment of traumatized refugees: A scoping review.Global mental health (Cambridge, England) · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundTrauma-focused therapies (TFTs) are first-line treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, TFTs are under-utilised, 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.
methodsPubMed, PsychINFO and PTSDPubs were searched between October 1st and November 30th, 2021. Study quality assessments were undertaken, and studies were analysed using a descriptive-interpretative approach. Nine studies were included.
resultsThe 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.
conclusionAlthough 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 preparing 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.
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