Contemporary Group Treatment of Combat-Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

The contemporary group treatment of veterans from the Vietnam War to the present who suffer from combat-related PTSD is reviewed in light of the dynamic understanding of combat trauma developed during and since World War II. Both dynamic and cognitive behavioral group therapies are explored. The common features of all group treatments of combat PTSD involve the development of trust and the communalization of trauma within a cohesive group. Further research is needed to increase our understanding of effectiveness, mediating factors, and relationships between childhood experience and combat trauma.