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Treatment of survivor guilt after trauma using imagery rescripting: a proof-of-concept study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 October 2020

Hannah Murray ,
Evelina Medin  and
Gary Brown Open the ORCID record for Gary Brown [Opens in a new window]
Hannah Murray*
Affiliation:
Traumatic Stress Service, South West London and St Georges NHS Trust, Building 2, Springfield University Hospital, 61 Glenburnie Road, Tooting, LondonSW17 7DJ, UK
Evelina Medin
Affiliation:
Psychology Department, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham Hill, Egham, SurreyTW20 0EX, UK
Gary Brown
Affiliation:
Psychology Department, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham Hill, Egham, SurreyTW20 0EX, UK
*
*Corresponding author. Email: hannah.murray@psy.ox.ac.uk
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Abstract

Survivor guilt can arise after surviving a trauma in which others die. No studies have systematically investigated psychological treatment for survivor guilt. The present study was a proof-of-concept investigation of treatment of survivor guilt using imagery rescripting. Thirteen participants with post-traumatic stress disorder and self-reported survivor guilt attended two consecutive imagery therapy sessions, to first elaborate and then rescript related imagery. Significant improvements were observed on idiographic process measures of cognitons, emotions and distress related to survivor guilt following the rescripting session. The study provides preliminary evidence that imagery rescripting can be used as an experiential technique to treat survivor guilt.

Keywords

guiltimageryimagery rescriptingPTSDsurvivor guilttrauma
Type
Brief Clinical Report
Information
Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy , Volume 49 , Issue 1 , January 2021 , pp. 124 - 128
Copyright
© British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies 2020

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Footnotes

‡

Present address: Oxford Centre for Anxiety Disorders and Trauma, University of Oxford, The Old Rectory, Paradise Square, Oxford OX1 1TW, UK.

§

Present address: Traumatic Stress Clinic, Camden & Islington NHS Foundation Trust, 4th Floor, West Wing, St Pancras Hospital, 4 St Pancras Way, London NW1 0PE, UK

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