1. Testimony method to ameliorate post-traumatic stress symptoms. Community-based intervention study with Mozambican civil war survivors.
- Author
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Igreja V, Kleijn WC, Schreuder BJ, Van Dijk JA, and Verschuur M
- Subjects
- Adult, Community Mental Health Services methods, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Mozambique, Rural Health, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic etiology, Survivors psychology, Treatment Outcome, Developing Countries, Narration, Psychotherapy methods, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic therapy, Warfare
- Abstract
Background: The effectiveness of the testimony method has not been established in rural communities with survivors of prolonged civil war., Aims: To examine the effectiveness and feasibility of a testimony method to ameliorate post-traumatic stress symptoms., Method: Participants (n=206) belonged to former war zones in Mozambique. They were divided into a case (n=137) and a non-case group (n=69). The case group was randomly divided into an intervention (n=66) and a control group (n=71). Symptoms were measured during baseline assessment, post-intervention and at an 11-month follow-up., Results: Post-intervention measurements demonstrated significant symptom reduction in both the intervention and the control group. No significant differences were found between the intervention and the control group. Follow-up measurements showed sustained lower levels of symptoms in both groups, and some indications of a positive intervention effect in women., Conclusions: A remarkable drop in symptoms could not be linked directly to the intervention. Feasibility of the intervention was good, but controlling the intervention in a small rural community appeared to be a difficult task to accomplish. more...
- Published
- 2004
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