PROTOCOL: Group‐based interventions for posttraumatic stress disorder: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of the role of trauma type

Summary & key facts

This paper is a protocol for a planned systematic review and meta-analysis. The authors will collect and combine studies that test group-based treatments for people with PTSD or people referred to PTSD group treatment. They plan to look not only at whether group treatments reduce PTSD symptoms, but also at factors that might change how well they work — for example the type of trauma (including interpersonal or stigmatized traumas), whether group members share the same trauma or gender, and whether group or social identity processes (like belonging or fit) are measured. The protocol does not report results; it explains what the review will do and why these questions matter.

Key facts:

• This document is a protocol for a Campbell systematic review that will assess the effects of group-based treatments on PTSD symptoms in people diagnosed with PTSD or referred to PTSD group treatment.
• The review will include both randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and non-randomized studies, and it will combine results in a meta-analysis when possible.
• A key focus of the review is to test moderators of effect, including trauma type (for example interpersonal or stigmatized trauma), group fit (shared vs. unshared trauma and gender composition), and recorded group- or social-identity factor
• The authors note that existing evidence suggests trauma-focused group CBT has reduced PTSD symptoms compared to waitlist or usual care, but evidence is mixed for non–trauma-focused group therapies; previous recommendations come from a small
• The protocol highlights that shared group membership and social identity processes (such as belonging, cohesion, and perceived fit) might help explain how group treatments work, but these processes have been underexplored in past research.
• The paper cites a rough estimate that about 3.5% of people experience PTSD at some point in their lives, noting rates vary by population, country, and trauma type.
• The protocol states that group delivery may offer practical benefits, such as treating multiple people at once (cost- and time-efficiency for clinicians), but it also emphasizes the need to study what group processes actually contribute to
• This protocol does not present study results. It describes planned methods, questions, and the types of evidence the authors will look for, so conclusions about effectiveness will depend on the studies they find.

Abstract

This is the protocol for a Campbell systematic review. The primary objective is to assess the effects of group-based treatments on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomology in people diagnosed with PTSD (by a clinician or screening instrument) or referred to a PTSD treatment group for their symptoms by a medical professional. We will also examine a range of moderators that may affect the efficacy of group-based treatments, including the nature of the trauma (interpersonal, stigmatized) and the group fit (in terms of gender and shared vs. unshared trauma). Further, we will also explore what, if any, group-based and social identity factors are recorded and how they relate to PTSD outcomes.

Topics

Child Abuse and Trauma Migration, Health and Trauma Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research

Categories

Clinical Psychology Psychology Social Sciences

Tags

Affect (linguistics) Alternative medicine Clinical psychology Communication Internal medicine Interpersonal communication Medicine Meta-analysis Pathology Posttraumatic stress Protocol (science) Psychiatry Psychological intervention Psychology Psychotherapist Social psychology