Short-term group psychotherapy of ex-concentration camp prisoners from Bosnia-Herzegovina

Abstract

This article describes short-term group psychotherapy of acute post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Patients were a group of former concentration camp prisoners from Bosnia-Herzegovina, who came as invited refugees to the Netherlands. They are civilian war-victims, who were treated while the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina was still in progress. In addition to the problems connected with war trauma, these patients were experiencing problems associated with forced migration and adaptation to a new culture. This article presents the dynamics within the group during five months of treatment and provides an evaluation of the therapeutic approach.