Effectiveness of psychosocial treatment on emotion regulation in people with posttraumatic stress disorder after burn injuries

Background: Burn is one of the traumatic events that causes posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The burn survivors often experience major psychological problems. Objective: This study evaluated the effectiveness of psychosocial model-based treatment plan on emotion regulation strategies in people with PTSD after burn injury. Methods: The research method was semi experimental with pretest-posttest design with control group. All patients referring to Tehran Shahid Motahari Burn Rescue Hospital participated by using simple random sampling method in 2017. Thirty patients with PTSD diagnosis were selected to the experimental and control groups. The treatment program was conducted during 12 sessions and followed up after two months in the experimental group. The tools of study included a structured diagnostic interview based on the 5th edition of diagnostic and statistical guide (DSM-5), PTSD index (PCL-5) and emotion regulation questionnaire (ERQ). The results were analyzed by multivariate analysis of covariance and t correlation. Findings: The results showed that the treatment program increased the re-evaluation component (as a positive emotion regulation strategy) and decreased repression scores (as a negative strategy) in PTSD patients due to burn injuries and this effect has been lasting for two months. Conclusion: Based on the results, it can be concluded that psychosocial therapeutic program is an effective program for PTSD patients and can affect their emotion regulation strategies. Keywords: Posttraumatic stress disorder, Emotions, Psychosocial factors, Burns, Clinical psychology