Research aim: To study the effect of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) with a focus on either Stress Management or Cognitive Restructuring in a clinical sample of traumatised refugees with PTSD and to identify predictors for the treatment effect.

Design: Randomised controlled trial

Population: 143 trauma-affected refugees referred to treatment at CTP

Methods: Participants were offered combined treatment with a psychiatrist (psycho-education and psychopharmacological treatment when needed) and a psychologist (CBT). The duration of the treatment was 6-7 months. The participants were randomised to either CBT with a focus on Stress Management or CBT with focus on Cognitive Restructuring. The primary outcome was PTSD measured using the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire. All the participants are invited to a follow-up interview 6 and 18 months after completing the treatment.

Primary investigator: Jessica Carlsson, MD, PhD

Supervisors: Erik Lykke Mortensen, Msc Psychology, PhD and Charlotte Sonne, MD, PhD

Publications

Carlsson, J., Sonne, C., Vindbjerg, E., & Mortensen, E. L. (2018). Stress management versus cognitive restructuring in trauma-affected refugees—A pragmatic randomised study. Psychiatry research, 266, 116-123.

Sonne, C., Mortensen, E. L., Silove, D., Palic, S., & Carlsson, J. (2021). Predictors of treatment outcomes for trauma-affected refugees-results from two randomised trials. Journal of Affective Disorders, 282, 194-202.

Vindbjerg, E., Klimpke, C., & Carlsson, J. (2014). Psychotherapy with traumatised refugees–the design of a randomised clinical trial. Torture Journal, 24(1), 9-9.

Barhoma, M., Sonne, C., Lommen, M. J., Mortensen, E. L., & Carlsson, J. (2021). Stress management versus cognitive restructuring in trauma-affected refugees—A follow-up study on a pragmatic randomised trial. Journal of Affective Disorders, 294, 628-637.

Letter informing project participants of research results: Arabic | Danish | Farsi ​