THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTIONS ON SYMPTOMS OF POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER

ABSTRACT Despite a plethora of research documenting the effectiveness of various therapeutic interventions on the symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), there continues to be ambiguity insofar as which approaches or combination thereof are most effective at improving adverse manifestations of this disorder. This lack of clarity is further confounded when other variables and nuances pertaining to variations of PTSD (i.e. military, sexual trauma, childhood abuse, etc.) are factored into these comparisons. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the impact of various interventions on improving the symptoms of PTSD. This study also examined the variances which stand in need of recognition when determining which interventions are most appropriate and meaningful in improving the quality of life and functionality of individuals with this disorder. This has significance in both macro and micro social work practices due to the potential for improvements in policies, allocation of resources, and enhancements in micro-level interventions. The research design involved qualitative interviews with clinicians devised to identify gaps, areas of agreement, and dissent among the research. Data analysis will be qualitatiive and will be guided by assessing the impact of interventions on the 17 symptoms which, according to the DSM-5 are associated with PTSD