Date of Award
2014
Publication Type
Master Thesis
Degree Name
M.A.
Department
Psychology
Keywords
emotion focused therapy for trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder, trauma
Supervisor
Paivio, Sandra
Rights
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Abstract
The present study tested the hypothesis that heightened post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity at pre-treatment would negatively affect therapy processes in emotion-focused therapy for complex trauma (EFTT). Archival data were utilized from an outcome study (Paivio, Jarry, Chagigioris, Hall, & Ralston, 2010). Clients (women n = 26, men n = 21) were adult childhood abuse survivors. The PTSD Symptom Severity Interview (Foa, Riggs, Dancu, & Rothbaum, 1993) measured pre-treatment PTSD symptom severity. Therapy process variables - measured in early, middle, and late sessions containing re-experiencing procedures - included experiencing, emotional arousal, engagement with trauma material, and distress which were respectively measured by the Patient Experiencing Scale (Klein, Mathieu-Coughlan, & Kiesler, 1989), Emotional Arousal Scale-Revised (Machado, Beutler, & Greenberg, 1999), client Post-Session Questionnaire (Paivio et al., 2010), and Subjective Units of Distress (Wolpe, 1969). Heightened pre-treatment PTSD symptom severity was associated with increased peak distress (supported hypothesis) and increased emotional arousal (contrary to expectations).
Recommended Citation
Jongsma, Katherine, "The Effect of PTSD Symptom Severity in EFTT on In-Session Therapy Processes" (2014). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 5178.
https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/etd/5178