Background Available empirical evidence on participant-level factors associated with dropout from psychotherapies for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is both limited and inconclusive. More comprehensive understanding of the various factors that contribute to study dropout from cognitive-behavioural therapy with a trauma focus (CBT-TF) is crucial for enhancing treatment outcomes.

This article aims to present theoretical-practical guidelines for mental health professionals based on a systematic review of the literature, guided by PRISMA (Method Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses, Page et al. [1], which explored the contributions of narrative therapy and constructivist-narrative strategies in the integration of complicated grief into normal grief. The literature needs to demonstrate more effectiveness in primary interventions, showing better results in secondary and tertiary interventions [2,3].

Background: Fear- and trauma-related conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and social phobia, often manifest as socially avoidant behaviours, which commonly contribute to social and occupational disability transdiagnostically. While gold-standard treatments (i.e. exposure therapy, psychotropic medications) are effective, they are hindered by high dropout rates and limited impact on real-world functioning.

Background: The complexity of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms related to childhood abuse (CA) present challenges for effective psychotherapeutic treatment. Consequently, there is great interest in the long-term effectiveness of psychological treatments for this population.

Objective: This study aims to investigate the long-term outcomes of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy for PTSD (DBT-PTSD) and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) 9 months after treatment termination.