Eficacia a corto plazo de un programa de intervención para el trastorno de estrés postraumático en mujeres mexicanas víctimas de violencia doméstica

Abstract

The objective of this investigation is to evaluate empirically the effectiveness of a brief and specific intervention program for the treatment of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in women victims of domestic violence. The participants were 34 Mexican women battered by their partner, all with a diag-nosis of PTSD (DSM-IV-RT). The treatment program was applied in groups and consists of eight ses-sions comprising psychoeducation, training for activation control, cognitive therapy and exposure ther-apy. A cuasi-experimental design of repeated measures was used (pre-treatment, post-treatment and 1 and 3 months' follow-up). The results at post-treatment and both follow-ups show a significant im-provement in PTSD symptoms (elimination of PTSD in 85% of participants) as well as in related symp-toms: depression, self-esteem, social maladaptation and post-traumatic ideation. The implications of this study for clinical practice are commented.