Augmenting resilience to trauma: A parallel-group controlled trial of a psychosensory intervention

Abstract

Conceptually, resilience is broadly defined as the ability to adapt positively to trauma. Havening Techniques (HT) use psychosensory input to alter responses to stress, potentially offering an innovative treatment intervention for posttraumatic dysregulation. The objective of this study was to implement a capacity-building approach to examine the efficacy of HT intervention in augmenting resilience post-trauma. This statistician-blind, parallel-group controlled trial of treatment versus waiting list groups examined the efficacy of the intervention in 125 trauma-exposed participants. Resilience was assessed psychometrically using the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD–RISC) completed by participants prior to the intervention (Timepoint 1), 24 hours post-intervention (Timepoint 2) and one month later (Timepoint 3). CD-RISC scores were comparable at T1 in both groups. Scores remained stable between timepoints in the waiting list group. However, they significantly increased in the treatment group: 36.7 (SD 20.0) vs 70.3 (SD 10.9) vs 73.9 (SD 10.9), (p < .001 for the difference between treatment and waiting list groups at both T2 and T3; effect sizes 2.60 and 2.79 respectively), indicating that HT was efficacious at augmenting resilience acutely and this was maintained at one month. This study acknowledges the benefits of resilience-focused approaches to evaluate interventions targeted at traumatic stress.