Evocation of positive memories as complement to trauma-focused cognitive-behavioural therapy for intimate partner violence against women

Background: Focusing on positive memories as a complement to trauma-focused interventions for intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) could contribute to enhancing the recovery from trauma with the development of a more integrated and emotionally modulated autobiographical narrative.Objective: To test the effectiveness of a trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) tailored for IPVAW that incorporates the evocation of positive memories.Methods: Female survivors of IPVAW entered a randomized controlled trial comparing trauma-focused CBT for IPVAW (CBT; n = 35) to a version that incorporates the evocation of positive memories (CBT-M+; n = 44) and to a waitlist (WL; n = 12) control group. Pre and post measures were obtained for: posttraumatic stress, meaning of trauma, affect, emotional regulation, associated symptoms, self-concept and overall functioning.Results: A total of 43.04% of women who entered treatment dropped out, without significant treatment differences. Pre-post changes were not significant for the WL; both treatments resulted in significant improvements, with good effect sizes, for posttraumatic stress (g = 0.78 and g = 1.00 for CBT and CBT-M+, respectively), meaning of trauma, affect, associated symptoms, self-concept and overall functioning, but not in emotional regulation. There were no significant differences between CBT and CBT-M+ in the direct comparisons; however, the effect sizes showed better effects of CBT for centrality of the IPVAW, whereas they favoured CBT-M+ for PTSD, depression, self-esteem and impairment measures. No clinically significant change was reached for the WL, while both treatments significantly reduced the percentage of women with PTSD and self-esteem problems; additionally, the percentage of women with depression and impairment problems in the CBT-M+ group was significantly decreased.Conclusions: Although there were few differences between both treatments, CBT-M+ seemed to have a greater effect, pointing to the potential of the inclusion of the evocation of positive memories that should be further researched. Antecedentes: Centrarse en los recuerdos positivos como complemento de las intervenciones centradas en el trauma para la violencia contra la mujer en la pareja (VCMP) podr & iacute;a contribuir a mejorar la recuperaci & oacute;n del trauma con el desarrollo de una narrativa autobiogr & aacute;fica m & aacute;s integrada y emocionalmente modulada.Objetivo: Comprobar la eficacia de una terapia cognitivo-conductual (TCC) centrada en el trauma y adaptada para VCMP que incorpora la evocaci & oacute;n de recuerdos positivos.M & eacute;todos: Mujeres supervivientes de VCMP participaron en un ensayo controlado aleatorizado que comparaba una TCC centrada en el trauma para VCMP (TCC; n = 35) con una versi & oacute;n que incorpora la evocaci & oacute;n de recuerdos positivos (TCC-M+; n = 44) y con un grupo de control en lista de espera (LE; n = 12). Se obtuvieron medidas pre y post para: estr & eacute;s postraum & aacute;tico (TEPT), significado del trauma, afecto, regulaci & oacute;n emocional, s & iacute;ntomas asociados, autoconcepto y funcionamiento global.Resultados: Un 43,04% de las mujeres que entraron en tratamiento abandonaron, sin diferencias significativas entre tratamientos. Los cambios pre-post no fueron significativos para LE; ambos tratamientos tuvieron mejoras significativas con buenos tama & ntilde;os del efecto en estr & eacute;s postraum & aacute;tico (g = 0,78 y g = 1,00 para TCC y TCC-M+, respectivamente), significado del trauma, afecto, s & iacute;ntomas asociados, autoconcepto y funcionamiento global, pero no en regulaci & oacute;n emocional. No hubo diferencias significativas entre TCC y TCC-M+ en las comparaciones directas; sin embargo, los tama & ntilde;os del efecto mostraron mejores efectos de la TCC para la centralidad del trauma, mientras que favorecieron al TCC-M+ en TEPT, depresi & oacute;n, autoestima y deterioro. No se alcanzaron cambios cl & iacute;nicamente significativos para LE, mientras que ambos tratamientos obtuvieron reducciones significativas en el porcentaje de mujeres con problemas de TEPT y autoestima; adem & aacute;s, TCC-M+ obtuvo una reducci & oacute;n significativa del porcentaje de mujeres con problemas de depresi & oacute;n y funcionamiento.Conclusiones: Aunque hubo pocas diferencias entre ambas condiciones, TCC-M+ pareci & oacute; tener un mayor efecto, se & ntilde;alando el potencial de la inclusi & oacute;n de la evocaci & oacute;n de recuerdos positivos que deber & iacute;a ser investigado m & aacute;s a fondo.