OBJECTIVE There has been uncertainty about whether refugees and asylum seekers with PTSD can be treated effectively in standard psychiatric settings in industrialized countries. In this study, Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) was compared to Treatment As Usual (TAU) in 11 general psychiatric health care units in Norway. The focus was on changes in symptom severity and in the diagnostic status f...

A randomized controlled trial was conducted to determine whether a manual-based psychodynamic treatment, labeled dynamic deconstructive psychotherapy (DDP), would be feasible and effective for individuals with co-occurring borderline personality disorder (BPD) and alcohol use disorder. Thirty participants were assessed every 3 months during a year of treatment with either DDP or treatment as us...

AIMS To compare the mortality of female alcoholics randomly assigned to the woman-only programme 'Early treatment for Women with Alcohol Addiction' (EWA) versus those who received mixed gender 'Treatment As Usual' (TAU). METHODS Randomized controlled trial involving 2-year follow-up by personal interview and mortality register data through 27 years of 200 women first time treated for alcohol ...

Adolescents in residential treatment settings have symptoms that prevent them from participation in normal youth activities, which in turn prevent development of social skills and competencies. A sports-based intervention called “Do the Good” (DtG) was designed for this population using trauma-informed treatment principles. This paper describes the intervention model and presents outcome data. ...

BACKGROUND The aim of this study is to compare the 12-year follow-up effects on in- and outpatient services of 2 years of integrated treatment for recent-onset schizophrenia versus treatment as usual in a randomized controlled trial. METHODS 50 patients aged 18-35 years were randomized to Integrated Treatment (IT) (N = 30) or Treatment-as-Usual (TAU) (N = 20) for two years. TAU comprised opti...

OBJECTIVE This trial compared Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, adapted for therapeutic community treatment (MBTC), with treatment as usual (TAU) for reducing stress and increasing retention in a residential facility for substance use disorders. METHOD Four-hundred and fifty-nine participants, who met DSM-IV criteria for substance dependence were recruited (TAU = 164, MBTC = 295). RESULTS...

BACKGROUND Major depression has far-reaching consequences for work functioning and absenteeism. In most cases depression is treated by medication and clinical management. The addition of occupational therapy (OT) might improve outcome. We determined the cost-effectiveness of the addition of OT to treatment as usual (TAU). METHOD Sixty-two adults with major depression and a mean absenteeism of...

BACKGROUND Lithium has proven suicide preventing effects in the long-term treatment of patients with affective disorders. Clinical evidence from case reports indicate that this effect may occur early on at the beginning of lithium treatment. The impact of lithium treatment on acute suicidal thoughts and/or behavior has not been systematically studied in a controlled trial. The primary objective...

BACKGROUND Existing psychological therapies for bipolar disorders have been found to have mixed results, with a consensus that they provide a significant, but modest, effect on clinical outcomes. Typically, these approaches have focused on promoting strategies to prevent future relapse. An alternative treatment approach, termed 'Think Effectively About Mood Swings' (TEAMS) addresses current sym...

Health technology The study compared manual-assisted cognitive-behaviour therapy (MACT) with treatment as usual (TAU) for patients with a history of recurrent deliberate self-harm. MACT took the form of cognitive therapy combined with some aspects of dialectical behaviour therapy. The patients were sent a 70-page manual based on cognitive-behaviour therapy and were then offered 7 treatment sess...