Lifespan Integration Therapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder of Adults Involved in an Auto Accident

Studies estimate a substantial proportion of MVA survivors, ranging from 9.4% to 59.9%, will develop PTSD following an accident (Blanchard & Hickling, 2004). Based on conservative estimates, past research, indicates that MVA-related PTSD may affect 2.5 to 7 million persons in the United States (Blanchard & Hickling). Furthermore, two seminal epidemiological studies (Kessler et al., 1995; Norris, 1992) that focused on causes of adult PTSD identified MVAs as the most frequent trauma resulting in PTSD. For these reasons, MVA-resultant PTSD represents a significant public health problem that needs not only to be thoroughly understood, but addressed with successful mental health treatment options (Beck & Coffey, 2007; Blanchard & Hickling, 1997, 2004; Bryant et al., 1998; Taylor et al., 1999; Taylor et al., 2001). Although there is empirical literature on the treatment of PTSD following an MVA, additional efficacious and rigorously conducted studies with statistical underpinnings are required to determine the results that can be expected from alternative models of care (Beck & Coffey; Blanchard & Hickling, 1997, 2004).