Early crisis intervention to patients with acute stress disorder in general hospital

Tokai J Exp Clin Med. 2003 Apr;28(1):27-33.

Abstract

This report presents 2 patients who were diagnosed to have acute stress disorder (ASD), received early psychiatric intervention (crisis intervention as a short-term psychotherapy), and subsequently had good outcome. Encounter with an event that causes psychological trauma may induce post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, the 2 patients described here have shown no particular mental symptoms for more than 2 years after the event and are leading normal lives. Psychological debriefing as a group used to be regarded as effective for the prevention of PTSD, but early identification of the stress-related disorder and intensive treatment of individual patients is recently considered to be more necessary. Both of the 2 patients presented here showed good outcome, and early crisis intervention in individual patients is suggested to be effective for the treatment of stress-related disorders and prevention of PTSD.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Crisis Intervention*
  • Female
  • Hospitals, General
  • Humans
  • Japan
  • Middle Aged
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / prevention & control
  • Stress Disorders, Traumatic, Acute / psychology
  • Stress Disorders, Traumatic, Acute / therapy*
  • Time Factors
  • Treatment Outcome