Feasibility, acceptability and clinical benefit of a trauma-focused stabilisation group for post-traumatic stress disorder patients with complex presentations on primary care waitlists.

Abstract

Large numbers of people showing complex presentations of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the NHS Talking Therapies services routinely require multi-faceted and extended one-to-one National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommended treatment approaches. This can lead to longer waits for therapy and prolong patient suffering. We therefore evaluated whether a group stabilisation intervention delivered to patients on the waitlist for individual trauma-focused psychological treatment could help address this burden. The study aimed to ascertain a trauma-focused stabilisation group's acceptability, feasibility, and preliminary clinical benefit. Fifty-eight patients with PTSD waiting for trauma-focused individual treatment were included in the study. Two therapists delivered six 5-session groups. The stabilisation group was found to be feasible and acceptable. Overall, PTSD symptom reduction was medium to large, with a Cohen's d of .77 for intent-to-treat and 1.05 for per protocol analyses. Additionally, for depression and anxiety, there was minimal symptom deterioration. The study provided preliminary evidence for the acceptability, feasibility and clinical benefit of attending a psychoeducational group therapy whilst waiting for one-to-one trauma therapy.