Delayed Stress Response Syndrome: Family Therapy Indications*

Abstract

The paper draws upon the work of Mardi Horowitz and his colleagues in the explication of the delayed stress response syndrome. The syndrome is a form of chronic catastrophic stress disorder to be discussed in the new “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual.” The theoretical nature of the syndrome and its most characteristic symptoms are delineated within the context of treating Vietnam combat veterans. The paper outlines treatment implications within a family therapy program. Specific issues and procedures discussed include (a) diagnosis of the syndrome and the family pathology within which it is embedded, (b) identification of the particular family characteristics which tend to affect and be affected by the syndrome, and (c) the use of both the spouse and another survivor of the catastrophic event in the treatment program.