Efficacy of Stress Inoculation Training in a Case of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Secondary to Emergency Gynecological Surgery

Abstract

Stress inoculation training (SIT) was evaluated as treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in a 27-year-old who experienced emergency gynecological surgery (hysterectomy) 3weeks after delivering her first child. She was seen at an outpatientmental health center with complaints of sleep disturbance, flashbacks, prolonged crying, avoidance of landmarks associated with the surgery, and chronic distress in response tomultiple environmental stimuli. SITwas instituted during eight treatment sessions in which she was taught progressive muscle relaxation, deep breathing, guided imagery, covert modeling, thought stopping, and thought replacement procedures. Evaluated in a single-case experimental design format, the effects of treatment were that the woman no longer had stressinducing experiences and her level of discomfort in the presence of identified environmental triggers essentially was eliminated. However, at a follow-up session she reported other life circumstances that had not improved contemporaneously. The case is discussed with reference to evidence-based treatments for PTSD.

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