Trauma-focused group psychotherapy is not effective for posttraumatic stress disorder in Vietnam veterans.

Intervention 30 weeks of trauma-focused group psychotherapy, delivered weekly in groups comprising 6 people, plus 5 booster sessions at monthly intervals, versus control intervention of present-centred comparison treatment. In the trauma focused therapy group, each participant received 2 sessions dedicated to their own trauma; and had to listen to an audiotape of these sessions at least 8 times. The intervention additionally comprised psychoeducation, cognitive restructuring, relapse prevention and coping skills training. Present-centred therapy avoided trauma-focused references and other components of trauma-focused therapy. Both intervention and control group sessions included education about posttraumatic stress disorder and coping skills.