Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) often negatively impacts social functioning, which can lead to increased risk of morbidity and mortality. Although current evidence-based and exposure-specific treatments can improve PTSD symptoms, they rarely target the interpersonal difficulties that impact quality of life. This case study describes the use of a manualized treatment for a veteran who continues to experience poor social functioning even after previous exposure-based treatment for PTSD. This treatment, ACT to Improve Social Support for Veterans with PTSD (ACT-SS), explicitly targeted the veteran’s maladaptive patterns of interpersonal difficulties, feelings of detachment from others, irritability, and avoidance of social situations. Following treatment, the veteran reported significant improvements in social relationships, quality of life, and depressive symptoms, even though he still met the clinical threshold for PTSD. This case study provides preliminary evidence for the efficacy of a psychosocial intervention that directly targets social functioning issues for veterans with PTSD, and the importance of incorporating social goals and exercises into treatment.
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