Changes in PTSD patients' narratives during prolonged exposure therapy: a replication and extension.

Full Abstract

Following E. B. Foa, C. Molnar, and L. Cashman (1995), narrative changes from the first to the last exposure session were compared for improved and nonimproved PTSD patients on fragmentation, organization, internal, and external events. Improved (n = 8) and nonimproved (n = 12) patients did not differ regarding changes in fragmentation or organized thoughts. However, improved patients showed a greater decrease in disorganized thoughts during treatment. Furthermore, all patients, independent of improvement, showed significant changes in the same direction; a decrease in disorganized thoughts and external events and an increase in internal events. Although previous results were partly replicated, it is concluded that narrative changes may be due to exposure treatment itself rather than to changes in memory representation.

Author information

Author/s: van Minnen, Agnes (A); Wessel, Ineke (I); Dijkstra, Ton (T); Roelofs, Karin (K);

Affiliation: Department of Clinical Psychology and Personality, University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands. minnen(-atsign-)psych.kun.nl

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Clinical Trial; Controlled Clinical Trial; Journal Article

Journal: Journal of traumatic stress (J Trauma Stress), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2002-Jun; vol 15 (issue 3) : pp 255-8

Dates: Created 2002/07/02; Completed 2002/12/13; Revised 2004/11/17;

PMID: 12092918, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: )

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