Practical guidelines for online Narrative Exposure Therapy (e-NET) – a short-term treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder adapted for remote delivery

Abstract

Background: Online therapy has become increasingly desirable and available in recent years, with the current COVID-19 pandemic acting as a catalyst to develop further protocols enabling therapists to conduct online treatment safely and efficaciously. Offering online treatment potentially means that treatments are available to clients who would otherwise have no access, closing the gap in the provision of mental health services worldwide. Objective: This paper focuses on practical guidelines using online Narrative Exposure Therapy (e-NET). It aims to be an addition to the general manual of NET to enable therapists to deliver online treatment. The face-to-face version of NET is a well-known short-term and evidence-based treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder; e-NET is currently being tested in several additional trials. Methods: The differences between NET and e-NET are elaborated and depicted in detail. Results: Difficulties encountered in e-NET delivery, e.g. confidentiality, dealing with interruptions, comorbid symptoms among others, are similar to those that occur during face to face interventions but the solutions have to be adapted. Dissociation is often regarded as a challenge in face-to-face treatment, and requires particular attention within the online setting. Therefore, tools for addressing dissociation in this particular setting are presented. Conclusions: These practical guidelines show the advantages as well as the challenges therapists face when conducting e-NET. They aim to empower therapists working with trauma clients to conduct e-NET confidently and safely. Guías prácticas para la Terapia de Exposición Narrativa online (e-NET en sus siglas en inglés)-un tratamiento de corto plazo para el trastorno de estrés postraumático adaptado para atención remota Antecedentes: La terapia online se ha vuelto deseable y disponible de forma creciente recientemente, con la actual pandemia del COVID-19 actuando como un catalizador para desarrollar protocolos permitiendo a los terapeutas a aplicar tratamiento online de forma segura y eficaz. Ofrecer tratamiento online significa que potencialmente los tratamientos están disponibles para los clientes que no tendrían acceso de otra forma, reduciendo la brecha en la provisión de los servicios de salud mental alrededor del mundo. Objetivo: Este artículo se centra en las guías prácticas usando la Terapia de Exposición Narrativa online (e-NET). Este busca ser una adición al manual general de NET para facilitar que los terapeutas entreguen tratamiento online. La versión presencial del NET es un tratamiento bien conocido basado en la evidencia y de corto plazo para el tratamiento del trastorno de estrés postraumático; e-NET está actualmente siendo evaluado en varios ensayos adicionales. Métodos: Las diferencias entre NET y e-NET están elaboradas y se describen en detalle. Resultados: Las diferencias encontradas en la entrega del e-NET, por ej. Confidencialidad, manejo de interrupciones, síntomas comórbidos, entre otros, son similares a aquellos que ocurren durante las ...

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Online narrative exposure therapy for parents of children with neurodevelopmental disabilities suffering from posttraumatic stress symptoms – study protocol of a randomized controlled trial

“…NET is a well-established exposure-based intervention for PTSD (Schauer, Neuner, & Elbert, 2011 ). eNET is adapted for the use in a video call setting (Kaltenbach et al, 2021 ; Robjant, Meyer, Kaiser, Kaltenbach, & Schauer, 2020 ). Adaptations are mainly made in order to provide comparable content via video calls (e.g.…”

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