Narrative Exposure Therapy: An Innovative Short-Term Treatment for Refugees with PTSD – Interview with Dr. Morton Beiser

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Published: Nov 30, 2016
DOI: https://doi.org/10.18192/uojm.v6i2.1760
Keywords:
Narrative Exposure Therapy, Refugees

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Jennifer T DCruz
University of Ottawa, Faculty of Medicine
Joanne Joseph
University of Ottawa, Faculty of Medicine

Abstract

ABSTRACT

Dr. Morton Beiser is a Professor of Distinction in Psychology at Ryerson University, as well as Founding Director and Senior Scientist at the Centre of Excellence for Research on Immigration and Settlement (CERIS) in Toronto. After obtaining his medical degree from the University of British Columbia in 1960, he interned at the Montreal General Hospital, completed residency in Psychiatry at Duke Uni­versity Medical Centre and pursued post-doctoral training in Psychiatric Epidemiology at Cornell University. Dr. Beiser was appointed as Associate Professor of Behavioural Sciences at the Harvard School of Public Health from 1967 to 1975, before returning to Toronto to assume a David Crombie Professorship of Cultural Pluralism and Health, and professorship in Psychiatry. Given his extensive research experience on immigration and resettlement work, we interviewed Dr. Beiser to gain further insight into how Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) can be an innovative short-term option to treat refugee patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PSTD). Dr. Beiser is currently conducting a randomized trial to assess the effectiveness of NET among refugee children and youth in Toronto.

 

RÉSUMÉ

Dr Morton Beiser est un professeur distingué en psychologie à l’Université Ryerson, ainsi que directeur fondateur et scientifique prin­cipal au Centre d’excellence pour la recherche en immigration et en intégration (CEREI) de Toronto. Après avoir obtenu son doctorat en médecine à l’Université de la Colombie-Britannique en 1960, il a fait son internat à l’Hôpital général de Montréal, a complété sa résidence en psychiatrie au centre médical de l’Université Duke et a suivi une formation postdoctorale en épidémiologie psychiatrique à l’Université Cornell. Dr Beiser a été nommé professeur agrégé en sciences du comportement à l’École de santé publique de Harvard de 1967 à 1975, avant de retourner à Toronto pour occuper la Chaire David Crombie sur le pluralisme culturel et la santé, et la chaire de psychiatrie. Compte tenu de sa vaste expérience en recherche sur l’immigration et la réinstallation, nous avons interviewé Dr Beiser pour mieux comprendre comment la thérapie d’exposition descriptive (TED) est une option novatrice à court terme pour traiter les patients réfugiés atteints de trouble de stress post-traumatique. À l’heure actuelle, Dr Beiser mène un essai randomisé pour évaluer l’efficacité de TED chez les enfants et jeunes réfugiés de Toronto.

Article Details

Issue
Vol. 6 No. 2 (2016): Global Health
Section
Interview
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References

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