TY - JOUR
T1 - Skills Training in Affective and Interpersonal Regulation for Refugees Integrated With Narrative Exposure Therapy
T2 - A Case Study on the Treatment of PTSD and Emotion Dysregulation for Refugees and Asylum-Seekers
AU - Tissue, Avalon
AU - Specker, Philippa
AU - Hoffman, Joel
AU - Uppal, Shivani
AU - Cloitre, Marylene
AU - Neuner, Frank
AU - O’Donnell, Meaghan
AU - Nickerson, Angela
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2022.
PY - 2023/6
Y1 - 2023/6
N2 - The prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in individuals affected by war and conflict is high, with approximately 1 in 3 refugees and asylum-seekers meeting diagnostic criteria for PTSD. PTSD in refugees and asylum-seekers is associated with significant emotion dysregulation which may arise from chronic trauma exposure and post-migration stressors and lead to impaired day-to-day functioning. There is evidence that treatments that target emotion regulation skills prior to implementing exposure-based therapies lead to improved treatment response and reduced attrition in survivors of interpersonal traumas such as sexual abuse. The current case study details the use of a novel adaptation of one such treatment – Skills Training in Affective and Interpersonal Regulation for refugees and asylum-seekers (STAIR-R). In this case study, we report on the implementation of STAIR-R in combination with Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) with Sara, a 60-year-old Iraqi woman who presented with high levels of nightmares, avoidance and emotion dysregulation following exposure to war- and conflict-related trauma and post-migration stressors. In this case study, we explore the intersection of emotion regulation skills training (in STAIR-R) and exposure therapy (in NET), and the potential for this combined intervention to improve emotion regulation skills, enhance coping with post-migration stressors and facilitate engagement with exposure-based treatment for PTSD.
AB - The prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in individuals affected by war and conflict is high, with approximately 1 in 3 refugees and asylum-seekers meeting diagnostic criteria for PTSD. PTSD in refugees and asylum-seekers is associated with significant emotion dysregulation which may arise from chronic trauma exposure and post-migration stressors and lead to impaired day-to-day functioning. There is evidence that treatments that target emotion regulation skills prior to implementing exposure-based therapies lead to improved treatment response and reduced attrition in survivors of interpersonal traumas such as sexual abuse. The current case study details the use of a novel adaptation of one such treatment – Skills Training in Affective and Interpersonal Regulation for refugees and asylum-seekers (STAIR-R). In this case study, we report on the implementation of STAIR-R in combination with Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) with Sara, a 60-year-old Iraqi woman who presented with high levels of nightmares, avoidance and emotion dysregulation following exposure to war- and conflict-related trauma and post-migration stressors. In this case study, we explore the intersection of emotion regulation skills training (in STAIR-R) and exposure therapy (in NET), and the potential for this combined intervention to improve emotion regulation skills, enhance coping with post-migration stressors and facilitate engagement with exposure-based treatment for PTSD.
KW - emotion dysregulation
KW - Narrative Exposure Therapy
KW - post-traumatic stress disorder
KW - refugees and asylum-seekers
KW - skills training
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U2 - 10.1177/15346501221133315
DO - 10.1177/15346501221133315
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85140075052
SN - 1534-6501
VL - 22
SP - 285
EP - 306
JO - Clinical Case Studies
JF - Clinical Case Studies
IS - 3
ER -