Evaluation of an 8-day Intensive Treatment Programme for PTSD and CPTSD in the Swedish Mental Health Care

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Complex PTSD (C-PTSD) are conditions that may develop after a person has been exposed to extremely stressful experiences. The affected individual re-experiences the event despite attempts to avoid reminders of the experience and also experiences heightened tension. In C-PTSD, the individual also experiences significantly impaired ability to regulate emotions, severe negative change in self-image, and difficulty maintaining close relationships.

Traditional trauma-focused psychotherapy for PTSD typically involves one session per week over approximately 6-12 months. Intensive treatment models for both PTSD and C-PTSD have been developed and have shown promising results, with lower dropout rate from treatment compared to traditional treatments. The current project aims to compare the outcomes of an 8-day intensive treatment programme with treatment in a traditional format. Individuals with C-PTSD or PTSD who have not benefited from previous treatment attempts are included in the study. Participants are allocated to the respective treatment group according to principles of person-centered care, where participants are considered competent to make an informed choice of treatment method.

Diagnostic assessment and self-rating of symptoms of PTSD and C-PTSD are conducted before and after treatment, as well as at 3-month follow-up. The study is expected to provide increased knowledge on whether 8-day intensive treatment is a suitable alternative to treatment in a traditional format for PTSD and C-PTSD. The study is also expected to provide important data for considering whether 8-day intensive treatment should be widely implemented in Swedish psychiatry.