Trauma Stabilisation as a Sole Treatment Intervention for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia contains high numbers of traumatised populations arising from either natural
disasters or interpersonal violence. Consequently, the need for empirically based trauma
treatments, compromised by insufficiency in appropriately trained clinicians and mental health
workers, makes the situation more challenging in addressing traumatic sequelae in local
populations. In response, the humanitarian/ trauma capacity building organisation, Trauma
Aid Germany, trained 37 therapists in psycho-traumatology, based on EMDR Therapy, which
included trauma stabilisation techniques. This research analyses the impact of Trauma
Stabilisation as a sole treatment intervention for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in
adults. Each client was screened for PTSD utilising the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire - preand
post-treatment. Analysis of the data considered only those interventions focussed on
trauma stabilisation, including psychoeducation. Participants receiving trauma confrontation
interventions were excluded from the data. Trauma stabilisation - as a sole treatment intervention,
was highly effective in alleviating PTSD diagnoses. Results demonstrate PTSD symptoms
were reduced in both clinical and sub-clinical trauma groups. The data set suggests
trauma stabilisation, as a sole treatment intervention, was safe, effective, efficient and sufficient
treatment intervention for PTSD. Furthermore, trauma stabilisation interventions have the
advantage of being safe, flexible, and adaptable to the cultural and spiritual context in which
they were are applied. The research findings also have implications regarding teaching and
learning and the potential utilisation of paraprofessionals, and other allied health professionals
in addressing the global burden of psychological trauma.