Narrative exposure therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder

Abstract

Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) is a relatively novice treatment that may be beneficial for use with individuals who suffer from Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The aim of this review was to explore the mechanism, evidence-base and effectiveness of NET in remediating PTSD symptoms. A literature search was carried out using Medline, PsycINFO, EMBASE and The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL). Reference lists of papers, review articles and grey literature were also hand searched. Findings were presented in a narrative review. The emerging research on NET presents it as a potentially effective and accessible treatment of PTSD symptoms though careful consideration of cultural issues must be made prior to and during application. Current research on NET provides evidence on its effectiveness especially with refugee populations for whom it was initially intended. It also has additional attractive characteristics such as its accessibility and cultural consideration. However methodological limitations of existing studies, in particular the small sample sizes, have to be noted.