Efficacy of Single-Session Abreactive Ego State Therapy for Combat Stress Injury, PTSD, and ASD

Abstract

Using abreactive Ego State Therapy (EST), 36 patients meeting DSM-IV-TR and PTSD checklist (PCL) criteria were exposed to either 5-6 hours of manualized treatment or placebo in a single session. EST emphasizes repeated hypnotically activated abreactive "reliving" of the trauma experience combined with therapists' ego strength. Both the placebo and EST treatment groups showed significant reductions in PTSD checklist scores immediately posttreatment (placebo: mean 17.34 points; EST: mean 53.11 points) but only the EST patients maintained significant treatment effect at 4-week and 16- to 18-week follow-ups. Abreactive EST appears to be an effective and durable treatment for PTSD inclusive of combat stress injury and acute stress disorder.

Evidence Based Abreactive Ego State Therapy for PTSD

“…Both the Barabasz, Barabasz, Christensen, French, and Watkins (2013) and Christensen et al (2013) studies employed the identical research designs but used different dependent measures. All patients (n = 36 & 30) respectively met DSM-IV TR and CAPS (Blake et al, 1995) criteria for PTSD.…”

“…To meet this need two independently conducted studies were recently conducted (Barabasz, Barabasz, Christensen, French, & Watkins, 2013;. Both provide abundant evidence that a single 5-6 hour manualized abreactive EST session is an effective and durable treatment for PTSD.…”

“…Both the Christensen et al (2013) and Barabasz, Barabasz, Christensen, French, and Watkins (2013) studies assigned patients in balanced order according to order of volunteering to either EST or control groups. Both followed the 5-phase manualized clinical protocol (as described previously in this article) in a single 5-6 hour co-therapy session where experimenter-clinicians alternated as primary therapist for each session.…”

“…Both followed the 5-phase manualized clinical protocol (as described previously in this article) in a single 5-6 hour co-therapy session where experimenter-clinicians alternated as primary therapist for each session. The Barabasz, Barabasz, Christensen, French, and Watkins (2013) study collected PCL data pre-and post-session as well as at 4 weeks and at 16-18 weeks. We also now have 12 month follow up data, which appears for the first time in this article.…”

“…The Hypnotic Induction Profile (HIP; Spiegel & Spiegel, 2004) indicated that all in the Christensen et al study were also found to be responsive to hypnosis (scores 4-10). The dependent measure for the Barabasz, Barabasz, Christensen, French, and Watkins (2013) study was the PCL (Bliese et al, 2008) administered in the civilian or military versions appropriate to the patient. The Christensen and colleagues (2013) study used the Davidson Trauma Scale (DTS; Davidson et al, 1997), the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI; Beck & Steer, 1993) and the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II; Beck, Steer, & Brown, 1996).…”