Abstract
The possibilities of treating post-traumatic stresses and other similar mental disorders are complicated by the fact that almost every patient requires an individual approach. It is quite difficult to find two completely identical clinical cases with the same symptoms and forms of manifestation. Perhaps, that is why the search for new methods of treatment of psychological trauma consequences has become particularly relevant in the modern era when rapid development of civilization invariably affects the psyche of some people. In order to evaluate an innovative way to prevent such problems, it is possible to pay attention to one of the scientific articles where research on this topic is presented. It is the paper by Kip et al. (2016) called “Evaluation of Brief Treatment of Symptoms of Psychological Trauma among Veterans Residing in a Homeless Shelter by Use of Accelerated Resolution Therapy.” The object of the study of this article is a relatively new method called Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART). The analysis of ART effectiveness, as well as the scope of its application and possible limitations, will help evaluate its possibilities and draw appropriate conclusions about the relevance of its application in modern clinics.
The Main Essense of ART
The study that is considered shows ART as a new and revolutionary technique for stopping posttraumatic stress and mental disorders caused by strong emotions. Kip et al. (2016), working at the University of South Florida, relieve the symptoms of the stress in military personnel who started to suffer from such a disorder after the participation in hostilities. A new therapy is a combination of proven psychotherapy with the use of eye movements. It is not so long-term as some other techniques; therefore, many patients can completely pass it.
Ethical Implications of the ART Therapy
When looking at the ways of introducing such therapy, it can be noted that there is nothing in it that could contradict the norms of ethics and morality. According to Kip et al. (2016), ART therapy includes two phases: first, the patient mentally represents his or her previous traumatic experience, which usually causes unpleasant physiological sensations, for example, heaviness in the chest, increased heart rate, sweating. Then, a therapeutic conversation follows, as well as several series of rapid eye movements from left to right. At the second phase, with similar actions of the therapist, the patient replaces some unpleasant images with more positive ones. Thus, ART does not involve homework, as well as written or oral memories of a traumatic experience. Therefore, there are no ethical contradictions that can manifest themselves during the introduction of the ART therapy.
The Scope of the ART Therapy Application
Since the peculiarities of using this treatment method involve the performing of certain eye movements, the type of therapy can theoretically come to replace another similar procedure called the eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). Also, as Kip et al. (2016) remark, for less than four ART sessions, the symptoms of disorders were significantly reduced among participants in one target group compared to those who did not participate in the study. It allows saying that the possibilities of the therapy are quite significant, and it can be used as the global means of combating stress and post-traumatic syndrome.
Nevertheless, despite the success of the described treatment, the authors do not mention any cases of ART introduction for patients with physical visual impairment. Compared with the EMDR method when treatment is possible in case of mental disorders, as well as other eye diseases, the described therapy is usually used solely to combat the effects of emotional trauma. Perhaps, this property is the main limitation of ART. However, even despite rather narrow specifics, this method has already gained recognition and has become one of the regularly used techniques.
Methodology and Sampling Procedures
Data collection in the Kip et al. (2016) was based on the principle of quantitative research when certain people took part in the program and based on statistical data, the number of effective interventions in percentage terms was considered. According to the authors, the ART test was performed with the participation of fifty-seven former militaries: twenty-nine of them received ART, and twenty-eight followed the attention control regime (Kip et al., 2016). The condition of all the participants was evaluated three months later after the end of the exposure. Upon completion of the study, all veterans were given the opportunity to pass ART, and 94% of the total number of participants completed it (Kip et al., 2016, p. 420). Thus, quite accurate results indicate the effectiveness of the technique regarding the need for its introduction into general medical practice.
Conclusion
Thus, the ART therapy is a combination of habitual restorative techniques and modern ways of influencing the psyche that has undergone stress in the form of a strong emotional shock. On the example of the study with veterans residing in a homeless shelter, it has been revealed that the treatment technique is effective enough and can be used in the world practice. The study itself is theoretically justified, and the corresponding supporting database is evidence of the authors’ active work.
Reference
Kip, K. E., D’Aoust, R. F., Hernandez, D. F., Girling, S. A., Cuttino, B., Long, M. K.,… Rosenzweig, L. (2016). Evaluation of brief treatment of symptoms of psychological trauma among veterans residing in a homeless shelter by use of Accelerated Resolution Therapy. Nursing Outlook, 64(5), 411-423.