The treatment of chronic post‐traumatic nightmares using psychodynamic‐interpersonal psychotherapy

This article presents a single‐case experimental study of a woman suffering a traumatized reaction to a road traffic accident (RTA). In addition to meeting the DSM‐IV (APA, 1994) criteria for the diagnosis of PTSD, the client suffered recurrent bizarre nightmares. The client reported at assessment, that each night her dreams were dominated by a terrifying hooded cloaked faceless figure. The central aim of the study therefore was to assess the efficacy of a psychodynamic‐interpersonal (PI) style psychotherapy in the context of an unusual PTSD reaction. The methodology employed an A/B multiple baseline time series design, with six month follow‐up. A and B represent a series of dream diary observations under two conditions: assessment/baseline (A) and treatment/intervention (B). Treatment consisted of a manualized psychodynamic‐interpersonal (PI) psychotherapy to facilitate insight into the content and meaning of the nightmares. The intervention reduced the frequency and associated distress of the nightmares to zero. Follow‐up at six months noted the long‐term efficacy of the psychotherapy. The study is discussed with reference to the assimilation model of psychotherapeutic change

Context (archaeology) · Distress · Integrative psychotherapy · Interpersonal communication · Interpersonal psychotherapy · Intervention (counseling) · Psychiatry · Psychodynamic psychotherapy · Psychodynamics · Psychotherapist · Randomized controlled trial · Single-subject design · Child Therapy and Development · Clinical Psychology · Medicine · Psychology · Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications · Sleep and Wakefulness Research · Social Psychology