Psychotherapeutic Management of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder among Females Exposed to Domestic Violence: Effectiveness of Eidetic Trauma Model

Abstract

Domestic Violence against women is a serious problem worldwide that has economic, physical, and psychological consequences, yet in many countries and cultures, victims often have little access to psychological support. Using a pre-post design, we investigated the effectiveness of psychological intervention using an imagery-based therapy in women showing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) resulting from spousal domestic abuse. Forty women, referred from outpatient clinics in Pakistan and meeting inclusion criteria, underwent individual trauma counseling for 8-10 weeks using the principles of Eidetic Therapy (ET), an imagery-based therapy that circumvents heavy reliance on verbal skills and narratives. Women showed significant reductions in PTSD by the end of treatment. Multivariate analysis showed non-significant difference between types of abuse, age group, and PTSD. In conclusion, therapy was effective and associated with a reduction in PTSD symptoms regardless of any type, level of DV or any age group of participants. This reduction in PTSD was notable because, unlike many situations involving spousal abuse, these women were generally not in a position to leave their relationship, and hence the women might have experienced continued exposure to abuse. Context/cultural-based explanations for these findings are presented and discussed.