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Group Therapy for PTSD

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Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

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Abstract

Group therapy has a long and rich history of use in treating PTSD. This is due in part to its lower cost and effort required but is also due to its value in providing a social structure for individuals with a diagnosis known to negatively affect support systems. Despite wide use, few clinical trials have addressed the potential value of PTSD group therapy so that only a few limited studies support the possibility that group approaches might be able to provide care equivalent to that obtained in individual therapy. The strongest evidence for the potential benefits of group therapy in PTSD comes from comparisons to groupings that receive no treatment at all. Despite minimal supportive evidence as to efficacy, classic cognitive behavioral therapy and prolonged exposure are often provided in groups. The best evidence supporting the value of PTSD group therapy is in the treatment for associated substance abuse. Group therapy is also an excellent way to provide adjunctive social support for individuals utilizing individual therapies of more proven value in the treatment of PTSD.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Colorado System, School of Medicine, Arroyo Seco, NM, USA

    J. F. Pagel

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Pagel, J.F. (2021). Group Therapy for PTSD. In: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-55909-0_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-55909-0_9

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-55908-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-55909-0

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