Exploring the Adapted Use of Evidence-Based Models to Assess and Treat Trauma Symptomology of an Elderly Combat Veteran Living in a Residential Treatment Facility: A Case Study

ABSTRACT

A single subject case design is utilized to examine the effectiveness of adapted clinical modalities for behavior change in the presence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology. This is a special case scenario: Subject client is a geriatric veteran of foreign war residing at a residential nursing facility. Aggressive behaviors are tracked and compared to measurements of self-efficacy during a 16-week trial of client-centered empowerment strategies and breathing techniques. Finally, a significant negative relationship between self-efficacy and aggressive behavior presentation is observed by the author; and clinical implications for service provision, given study limitations, are introduced.

KEYWORDS:

• PTSD
• aggression
• self-efficacy
• empowerment
• client centered
• practice implications
• residential rehabilitation
• veteran population
• geriatric