The impact of narrative exposure therapy on dysthymia and post-traumatic stress symptoms in nurses in the post COVID-19 period: a randomized clinical trial study

The COVID-19 pandemic imposed profound psychological strain on frontline nurses. This randomized clinical trial aimed to evaluate the effects of Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) on dysthymia and post-traumatic stress symptoms among nursing professionals in the post-pandemic period. In this randomized controlled trial, 60 eligible nurses from two hospitals in Isfahan, Iran, were randomly, assigned to intervention and control groups. The intervention group engaged in six weekly sessions of group NET, each lasting 90 min. The control group received treatment as usual and no active intervention. Data were collected using the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III (MCMI-III) at baseline, post-intervention, and a one-month follow-up. Data analysis involved both descriptive and inferential statistical procedures using SPSS Version 21. Baseline scores for dysthymia and post-traumatic stress symptoms were comparable between groups. The intervention group showed statistically significant reductions in symptom scores at post-intervention and one-month follow-up compared to baseline (p < 0.001). A significant time × group interaction was confirmed for both post-traumatic stress symptoms (p < 0.001, η²=0.441) and dysthymia (p = 0.02, η²=0.65), indicating substantially greater improvement in the NET group relative to the control group. No significant differences were observed between post-intervention and follow-up scores within the intervention group. NET effectively reduces dysthymia and post-traumatic stress symptoms in nurses. While these findings suggest that NET promotes mental health recovery, the short follow-up period limits conclusions regarding long-term durability. Future longitudinal research and more diverse sampling are warranted to establish the sustained efficacy of this intervention. (IRCT20230905059365N1) (http://www.irct.ir/) with the Clinical Trial Registry ({1}) and data of registration 2023-09-25.