TY - JOUR
PY - 2012//
TI - Online working alliance predicts treatment outcome for posttraumatic stress symptoms in Arab war-traumatized patients
JO - Depression and anxiety
A1 - Wagner, Birgit
A1 - Brand, Janine
A1 - Schulz, Wassima
A1 - Knaevelsrud, Christine
SP - 646
EP - 651
VL - 29
IS - 7
N2 - BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown that Internet-based interventions for posttraumatic stress disorder are feasible. However, little is known about how therapeutic process factors impact online interventions in war and conflict regions. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to assess the quality of the working alliance at midtreatment and posttreatment and its relationship with therapy outcome in an Internet-based cognitive-behavioral intervention for Arabic-speaking traumatized patients. METHODS: A trial was conducted from January 2009 to August 2011 with patients recruited specifically in Iraq. Fifty-five participants with posttraumatic stress symptoms completed the Working Alliance Inventory (WAI) after at least session 4. Participants' mean age was 27.7 years (SD = 6.9); 78% of participants were females. Participants received two weekly 45-min Internet-based cognitive-behavioral interventions over a 5-week period. The main outcome measures were the Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale (PDS) and the WAI. RESULTS: High ratings of the therapeutic alliance were obtained early in treatment, and results remained stable from sessions 4 to 10, indicating that it was possible to establish a positive and stable online therapeutic relationship. The working alliance at both assessment points predicted treatment outcome for posttraumatic stress symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the instability of the settings and patients' ongoing exposure to human right violations through war and dictatorships, it was possible to establish a stable online therapeutic relationship. Depression and Anxiety 00:1-6, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Language: en
LA - en
SN - 1091-4269
UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/da.21962
ID - ref1
ER -