Self-Empowerment Therapy for Depression Associated with PTSD

Background: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, alcohol and drug addiction, domestic violence and violence generally, suicide and the like have become epidemics crippling western society requiring significant allocation of funds to address them. Research shows that regardless of therapy used, nature and severity of the presenting problem and diagnosis, the modal frequency of patients attending counselling services is 1 [1-4]. With this in mind, Self Empowerment Therapy (SET) was pioneered at the Australian Trauma Research Institute. Aims: The aim of this study was to look at effectiveness of SET as a single session in the treatment of depression associated with PTSD. Method: A cumulative cohort of 102 subjects diagnosed with PTSD resulting from work and motor vehicle accidents were assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory at the start and at the conclusion of the single shot two hour therapy.Single session SET consisting of recording baseline measures, four clinical exercises, questionnaire administration and results analysis. Results: Results of the tests (n= 102; 46F & 56M) showed clinically significant therapeutic effects from SET in a single therapy session with 81% improvement. Conclusions: Results for the in -person single shot two-hour SET depression intervention demonstrated clinically significant impact on dep ression symptoms associated with PTSD.