EFFECTIVENESS OF SHORT-TERM SPECIALIZED INPATIENT TREATMENT FOR WAR-RELATED POSTTRAUMATIC-STRESS-DISORDER - A ROLE FOR ADVENTURE-BASED COUNSELING AND PSYCHODRAMA

Psychological tests were administered to 24 participants of an inpatie nt posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatment program both immedia tely before and following completion of treatment. Responses were comp ared to a treatment/wait list comparison group composed of 24 subjects awaiting entry into the program. All treatment/wait list comparison g roup subjects received weekly PTSD outpatient group therapy. Significa nt improvements were found in the inpatient treatment group in areas o f hopelessness, feelings of guilt and shame, loneliness, and emotional expressiveness. Other indices of psychological functioning, including interpersonal skills, gender role stress, anxiety, angel; and PTSD sy mptomatology did not change significantly in response to treatment No positive changes in any area of psychological function occurred in the treatment/wait list comparison group. Implications for treatment of P TSD and areas of future research are discussed.