Double Trauma: A Group Therapy Approach for Vietnam Veterans Suffering from War and Childhood Trauma

ABSTRACT

A model of a 9-month exploratory psychotherapy group for male Vietnam War veterans diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who also experienced childhood physical and sexual abuse is presented. Recent literature delineating an association between combat PTSD and earlier childhood abuse is briefly reviewed and forms the basis for a new treatment, strategy. A trauma group psychotherapy approach that investigates the connections between war and childhood traumas and their effects on later adult coping and interpersonal relationships is fundamentally different than existing trauma group treatment paradigms that focus primarily on war-related events. A description of the group formation, philosophy, course, and outcome is provided and enriched by clinical material.