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This version was published on June 1, 2008
Traumatology, Vol. 14, No. 2, 45-61 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/1534765608319079

Individual and Group Treatment and Self and Other Representations Predicting Posttraumatic Recovery Among Former Political Prisoners

Jari Salo

University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland

Raija-Leena Punamäki

University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland, raija-leena.punamaki{at}uta.fi

Samir Qouta

Gaza Community Mental Health Programme, Gaza, Palestine

Eyad El Sarraj

Gaza Community Mental Health Programme, Gaza, Palestine

The role of individual and group treatment and self and other representations in predicting posttraumatic symptoms and growth was examined among 115 Palestinian former political prisoners. Twenty participated in individual therapy and 19 in group therapy; 76 belonged to the control group. The results showed that posttraumatic symptoms decreased only in the individual therapy, whereas no decrease was found in group therapy or control groups across 1 year. Somatic symptoms decreased generally, whereas no general or treatment-related change was found in posttraumatic growth. As hypothesized, representations characterized by positive contents (benevolent, ambitious, and nonpunitive) predicted decrease in symptoms and increase in posttraumatic growth. Furthermore, positive content and mature, differentiated, and nonambivalent structure of representations predicted decrease in posttraumatic symptoms and increase in posttraumatic growth in group therapy, but not in individual therapy. The role of cognitive-emotional reworking of interpersonal representations in trauma therapies is discussed.

Key Words: trauma • posttraumatic symptoms • posttraumatic growth • self and other representations • individual and group treatment


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