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Case Reports
. 2016 Jan 14:7:29246.
doi: 10.3402/ejpt.v7.29246. eCollection 2016.

Case report: manualized trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy with an unaccompanied refugee minor girl

Johanna Unterhitzenberger  1 , Rita Rosner  2
Affiliations
Case Reports

Case report: manualized trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy with an unaccompanied refugee minor girl

Johanna Unterhitzenberger et al. Eur J Psychotraumatol. .

Abstract

Background: There is uncertainty whether young traumatized refugees should be treated with culturally adapted psychotherapy or with an evidence-based western approach. As yet, empirical studies on culturally adapted treatments for unaccompanied young refugees in industrialized host countries are not available. Studies do, however, suggest that trauma-focused treatment is promising for this group.

Objective: We describe the treatment of an unaccompanied refugee minor girl with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who underwent manualized trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT; Cohen, Mannarino, & Deblinger, 2006).

Methods: A 17-year-old girl from East Africa, who came to Germany without a caregiver, was treated for PTSD resulting from several traumatic experiences and losses in her home country and while fleeing. She lived in a group home for adolescents. Baseline, post, and follow-up data are reported.

Results: The girl participated in 12 sessions of manualized TF-CBT. Her caregiver from the youth services received another 12 sessions in line with the treatment manual. Symptoms decreased in a clinically significant manner; at the end of the treatment, the girl was deemed to have recovered from PTSD. Treatment success remained stable over 6 months.

Conclusions: Manualized TF-CBT is feasible for young refugees without significant cultural adaptations. It can, however, be seen as culturally sensitive.

Keywords: PTSD; adolescent; asylum-seeking; manualized; psychotherapy; refugee; separated; trauma-focused; treatment.

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References

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