Abstract
BackgroundResearch indicates that Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has an extensive impact on family relationships. Nevertheless, there is a dearth of empirically supported interventions addressing family functioning and PTSD. In the Netherlands, it is considered good clinical practice to offer multi-family therapy (MFT) to veteran and refugee families. MFT for traumatized families aims to address the dysfunctional family patterns that have evolved to address the consequences with trauma.MethodThe aim of this study is to generate a common framework for the practical impact and active ingredients of MFT in families confronted with trauma. The Delphi method was used to study the expert opinion of 11 therapists in Dutch expert trauma institutes.ResultsThe results indicate that MFT is a promising treatment for families dealing with the consequences of trauma. According to experts, positive outcomes include an increased understanding between family members, particularly visible in the de-escalation of conflicts within the family, and improved parenting. One explanation for the effectiveness of MFT with these target groups is its defining feature of therapy with several families.ConclusionsThe findings support the importance of considering family relationships and the family context in interventions for traumatized individuals.
Highlights
Research indicates that Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has an extensive impact on family relationships
To initiate the development of a more comprehensive evidence base, the aim of this study is to generate a common framework of the practical effect and the active ingredients of multi-family therapy (MFT) in families confronted with PTSD
The aim of this study was to generate a common framework for the practical effect and active ingredients of MFT in families confronted with PTSD
Summary
Research indicates that Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has an extensive impact on family relationships. To understand the complex relational patterns, many factors need to be considered (e.g., parental symptoms of PTSD, co-morbidity in parental psychopathology, and childhood trauma of the parent) Mechanisms such as mentalization (the capacity to perceive and understand mental states of the self and the child that help to explain and predict feelings, thoughts and behavior), attachment, and physiological factors offer a valuable perspective; to understand the impact of parental traumatization on children, the need for a transactional perspective, the inclusion of child van Ee Military Medical Research (2018) 5:25 factors, is essential [1]. Despite the indications of an extensive impact of PTSD on the family, children, there is a dearth of empirically supported interventions addressing family functioning and PTSD [1, 8, 9]
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