Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a condition that can develop after experiencing a traumatic event. Psychoeducation is a treatment approach often used for mental health and PTSD. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to provide a comprehensive evaluation of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of psychoeducational interventions for PTSD symptoms in adults. We systematically searched PubMed and Scopus databases for articles published from inception until October 2019. Eight studies that collectively included 719 subjects met the inclusion criteria. Random effects meta-analyses showed a small, neither statistically significant nor clinically important effect of − 0.08 (95% CI − 0.28 to 0.12). In addition, the I2 index was 56.9% indicating the presence of substantial heterogeneity. Findings can be considered preliminary and suggest that psychoeducation does not differ significantly from treatment-as-usual in decreasing PTSD symptoms but holds promise and should be further investigated. Suggestions for future research in the field are discussed.
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Data Availability
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author [VCB], upon reasonable request.
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References
Studies with an asterisk are included in the meta-analysis
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Brouzos, A., Vatkali, E., Mavridis, D. et al. Psychoeducation for Adults with Post-Traumatic Stress Symptomatology: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Contemp Psychother 52, 155–164 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10879-021-09526-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10879-021-09526-3