A CASE STUDY OF ACUTE STRESS REACTION: INTRA-FAMILIAL CONFLICTS

This case revolves around a 24 year old young girl who was brought to the psychiatry ward on account of hysterical behavior, such as crying, laughing, selftalk and disorientation. Her symptoms fulfilled the DSM-IV-TR criteria of Acute Stress Disorder and Sibling Relational Problem (DSM-IV-TR, 2000). The reaction had been caused by a recent family discord. She was assessed informally (using the Mental Status Examination and subjective ratings on several maladjusted behaviors) and formally (using Beck’s Depression Inventory, Rotter’s Incomplete Sentence Blank and the House Tree Person test). These measures showed high maladjustment with the environment, strong interpersonal conflicts and a need to achieve great academic success. Her intervention plan comprised Behaviour, Humanistic and Cognitive Behavior Therapies. These were chosen to provide catharsis, genuine positive regard, and encouragement to schedule a routine and restructure her cognitions towards the stressful event. She learnt Mastery and Pleasure, Self-Reinforcement, Problem Solving Skills, Anger Management, Social Skills and Cognitive Restructuring of the event. Systematic Desensitization was also used to curtail her avoidance towards the objects related to the stressful event. The client showed significant improvement in her areas of disturbance after receiving 9 therapy sessions.