Abstract
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a significant public health concern and can have long-term emotional, social and financial consequences for individuals and society. Lifetime prevalence in the general population is estimated at 8% and rates of exposure to Post-Traumatic Events (PTE) indicate approximately 50 to 65% have been exposed to at least one PTE in their lives. This indicates that approximately 15 to 25% of people exposed may also have a diagnosis of PTSD at some time in their life. It is therefore paramount that sufferers receive effective treatment. A case of successful treatment using Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) combined with more conventional psychological treatment for a woman, DS, suffering from acute PTSD with travel anxiety post a motor vehicle accident is presented. The client’s progress was evaluated at baseline and post treatment. After six sessions, over an eight week period, improvements were noted on all identified goals and on all assessment tools such that at post treatment DS no longer met the criteria for PTSD. The case highlights the utility of single case designs to evaluate the clinical decisions made in selection of treatment of PTSD. Theoretical implications of this study are discussed and an evaluation of using EFT in this case is provided.
Highlights
IntroductionDS, a 54 year old woman, was referred by her General Practitioner (GP) in 2011, for psychological treatment after she and her daughter were in a serious Motor Vehicle Accident (MVA) two months prior
The Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) was used for a comprehensive assessment for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) based on the research evidence that is the most extensively studied structured interview schedule for PTSD (Weathers et al, 2009)
Further questioning revealed that DS was experiencing guilt associated with the belief that she “should have protected her daughter better”
Summary
DS, a 54 year old woman, was referred by her General Practitioner (GP) in 2011, for psychological treatment after she and her daughter were in a serious Motor Vehicle Accident (MVA) two months prior. DS was driving in the rain on a four lane motorway when hit by a semi-trailer, spinning her vehicle across two parallel traffic lanes. It was hit by another vehicle before coming to a halt in trees on the median strip. The GP referral indicated DS was suffering from emotional lability, tearfulness, insomnia, nightmares and a general reluctance to drive. Referral objectives were to provide treatment to reduce distress and enable DS to return to driving confidently. DS’s CTP insurance company approved her assessment and upon receipt of the assessment report and treatment plan funded eight psychological treatment sessions
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