A Pilot Study of Tailored Cognitive-Behavioral Resilience Training for Trauma Survivors With Subthreshold Distress

J Trauma Stress. 2016 Jun;29(3):268-72. doi: 10.1002/jts.22094. Epub 2016 Apr 27.

Abstract

This pilot study evaluated the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of tailored cognitive-behavioral resilience training (TCBRT) for trauma-exposed individuals with a variety of subsyndromal psychological symptoms. TCBRT is a brief, flexible intervention that allows individuals to select the areas they wish to target using common cognitive-behavioral change principles. There were 14 individuals (78.6% female) who were recruited from a major medical center and enrolled in the 5-session intervention. There were 12 (85.7%) who completed all TCBRT sessions, and 2 (14.3%) who dropped out after 3 sessions. All participants reported that they received benefit from, were engaged in, and were satisfied with the intervention. Of the 12 with postintervention data, 5 of the participants demonstrated reliable increases in resilience and 6 demonstrated reliable decreases in anxiety. These improvements appeared to be maintained at 2-month follow-up; of the 11 participants with follow-up data, 5 demonstrated reliable increases in resilience and 6 demonstrated reliable decreases in anxiety. Our findings suggested that TCRBT was acceptable to trauma-exposed individuals with varying types of subthreshold distress.

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / methods*
  • Feasibility Studies
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Pilot Projects
  • Resilience, Psychological*
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / psychology*