Trauma stabilization as an effective treatment for children with post-traumatic stress problems in South-East Asia.

High numbers of children and adolescents in South-East Asia are traumatized by either natural disasters or human-made violence. Addressing traumatic sequelae in local populations with empirically based trauma treatments is challenged by the insufficiency inappropriately trained mental health provision. To meet this need for qualified therapists, the humanitarian/trauma capacity-building organization, Trauma Aid Germany, trained 37 therapists in psychotraumatology, including trauma stabilization. This study analyses the impact of trauma stabilization as a sole treatment intervention for post-traumatic stress (PTS) problems in children and adolescents. Each client was screened for PTS problems pre- and post-treatment using the Child Behaviour Checklist. Trauma stabilization (including psychoeducation) was the focus for subsequent data analysis. Those excluded were clients in receipt of trauma confrontation interventions. Trauma stabilization, as a sole treatment intervention, appeared to be sufficiently effective in reducing the PTS problems. The data set suggests that trauma stabilization has the potential to be effective, efficient, and sufficient treatment intervention for PTS problems in children and adolescents. Trauma stabilization techniques have the advantage of being relatively straightforward to teach and easy to integrate into practice. They are clinically safe, flexible, adaptable to the development stage and age of the client, and culturally and spiritually sensitive. A further advantage of trauma stabilization interventions is that they are bespoke - adjusted and adapted to the specific needs of the client. The discussion considers the implications for the potential utilization of mental health nurses and paraprofessionals in low- and middle-income countries in trauma stabilization interventions.

The therapeutic value of trauma stabilisation in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder - A Southeast Asian Study.

OBJECTIVE: Southeast Asia suffers from various forms of natural disasters and interpersonal violence. This creates a large trauma population, while at the same time mental health services in this area are limited. The humanitarian organisation Trauma Aid Germany established trauma capacity building by training 37 local therapists in psycho-traumatology, including trauma stabilisation, in Cambodia, Indonesia and Thailand. This analysis examines the impact of trauma stabilisation as a sole treatment for traumatized clients. METHOD: Clients were screened for PTSD using the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire pre- and post-treatment. Analysis only included clients who had received trauma stabilisation, including psychoeducation, but no confrontation with the traumatic event. RESULTS: Trauma stabilisation was highly effective in reducing PTSD symptoms, with high remission from PTSD post-treatment. Trauma stabilisation affected all subscales of PTSD and was effective in clinical as well as subclinical traumatized clients. CONCLUSION: The research supports the notion that trauma stabilisation is a treatment effect for PTSD. It was highly effective in its own in reducing PTSD symptoms. Based on the analysis, trauma stabilisation was a safe, language independent treatment for PTSD sufficiently flexible to be sensitive to the client's context. Therapists can adapt the techniques to the individual client and his cultural, spiritual, developmental, cognitive and situational background. Trauma stabilisation is suitable for implementation in crisis areas. The research has also implications to the potential utilisation of para-professionals.

Trauma Stabilisation as a Sole Treatment Intervention for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Southeast Asia.

Southeast Asia contains high numbers of traumatised populations arising from either natural disasters or interpersonal violence. Consequently, the need for empirically based trauma treatments, compromised by insufficiency in appropriately trained clinicians and mental health workers, makes the situation more challenging in addressing traumatic sequelae in local populations. In response, the humanitarian/ trauma capacity building organisation, Trauma Aid Germany, trained 37 therapists in psycho-traumatology, based on EMDR Therapy, which included trauma stabilisation techniques. This research analyses the impact of Trauma Stabilisation as a sole treatment intervention for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in adults. Each client was screened for PTSD utilising the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire - pre- and post-treatment. Analysis of the data considered only those interventions focussed on trauma stabilisation, including psychoeducation. Participants receiving trauma confrontation interventions were excluded from the data. Trauma stabilisation - as a sole treatment intervention, was highly effective in alleviating PTSD diagnoses. Results demonstrate PTSD symptoms were reduced in both clinical and sub-clinical trauma groups. The data set suggests trauma stabilisation, as a sole treatment intervention, was safe, effective, efficient and sufficient treatment intervention for PTSD. Furthermore, trauma stabilisation interventions have the advantage of being safe, flexible, and adaptable to the cultural and spiritual context in which they were are applied. The research findings also have implications regarding teaching and learning and the potential utilisation of paraprofessionals, and other allied health professionals in addressing the global burden of psychological trauma.