Earlier treatment of PTSD symptoms in women staying in the women’s shelter in Amsterdam at LUBEC Leiden
Many women in women’s shelters suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). According to the expertise center affiliated with Leiden University (LUBEC), recognizing and immediately treating PTSD symptoms offers the best chance of success. That is why, as of 1 September, LUBEC is working with the women's shelter organisation ‘Blijf Groep’ in Amsterdam.
Therapist Floor Wildschut and Melis Orhan: "We look forward to working with Blijf Groep to help victims of domestic violence process their traumatic experiences and rebuild their lives."
LUBEC supports Blijf Groep in screening clients for PTSD. Two LUBEC therapists will be in Amsterdam one day a week for this purpose. Therapists Floor Wildschut and Melis Orhan aim to make trauma treatment more accessible for these women (and men). “The collaboration is unique because it spans different areas of healthcare and crosses regional boundaries. As an academic expertise center, we already have experience in this area and are making a societal impact,” says Maartje Schoorl, clinical psychologist and manager at LUBEC.
What are the four domains of care?
- Mental well-being and autonomy, or "feeling mentally well";
- Physical well-being, or "being well cared for, feeling comfortable";
- Housing and living conditions;
- Participation, or "being active in one’s own way".
Treatment and research
LUBEC (clinical psychology) is the treatment department of the Clinical Psychology department at Leiden University. Therapists mainly focus on PTSD combine this treatment with scientific research to improve its quality. "Our treatment is intensive. Patients have three treatment appointments per week, as scientific research shows that symptoms reduce faster in this way," says Steven van der Werff, clinical psychologist in training at LUBEC and coordinator of the new collaboration with Blijf Groep.
Waiting list after waiting list
PTSD is common among women in women’s shelters, but it often goes unrecognised. Even when symptoms are identified, waiting lists for treatment are long, what makes it impossible to treat the women during their stay in the shelter. Their stay typically lasts nine months, but waiting lists for trauma treatment are often longer. Women from other regions are placed back on a waiting list after their shelter stay, delaying their treatment even further.
Accelerated progress
To address the issue of waiting lists and speed up care for these women, LUBEC began working with Rosa Manus, the women's shelter in Leiden, three years ago. "Women in women’s shelters are stable enough for PTSD treatment. It’s an intensive process, but we see people making rapid progress," Maartje Schoorl notes. The national domestic violence platform was so impressed by this collaboration that they created an award, the “Drakentemmers (Dragon Tamers) Award”. Read and listen to the local broadcaster Sleutelstad about the collaboration: The First Ever Drakentemmers Award for Rosa Manus and LUBEC.
Intensive trauma treatment
Other women’s shelters have expressed interest in similar collaborations. For this reason, LUBEC is now starting a new partnership, this time with Blijf Groep in Amsterdam. Vulnerable individuals from this group will receive help for their symptoms earlier. Additionally, the shelter environment is well-suited for intensive trauma treatment. The women are removed from violent situations and are able to live in relative peace during their stay. The facility also provides childcare, allowing the women to focus entirely on their treatment. If necessary, their children can also receive treatment from LUBEC’s child and youth department.