A comparison of narrative exposure therapy, supportive counselling, and psychoeducation for treating post-traumatic stress disorder in an African refugee settlement

Little is known about the usefulness of psychotherapeutic approaches for traumatized refugees who continue to live in dangerous conditions. Narrative exposure therapy (NET) is a short-term approach based on cognitive–behavioral therapy and testimony therapy. The efficacy of narrative exposure therapy was evaluated in a randomized controlled trial. Sudanese refugees living in a Ugandan refugee settlement (N 43) who were diagnosed as suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) either received 4 sessions of NET, 4 sessions of supportive counseling (SC), or psychoeducation (PE) completed in 1 session. One year after treatment, only 29 % of the NET participants but 79 % of the SC group and 80% of the PE group still fulfilled PTSD criteria. These results indicate that NET is a promising approach for the treatment of PTSD for refugees living in unsafe conditions. Experience of traumatic life events has been increasing in war-affected populations as civilians are increasingly exposed to war, torture, and forced migration. Refugees who have fled from war regions often report a number of extremely stressful experiences such as physical and psychological torture, shelling, sexual vio-lence, and other atrocities. As a consequence, high prevalence o