Cognitive Behavior Therapy With Mindfulness and Acceptance Skills for the Treatment of Older Adults
This article discusses an extension of CBT to include mindfulness and acceptance skills for the treatment of depression in older adults with comorbid medical illness. Findings support that a brief intervention of 12 weeks was effective in producing a clinically significant change in depression and quality of life at the completion of therapy and at follow-up. This suggests that mindfulness and acceptance skills in addition to CBT skills may be an effective intervention for the treatment of depression of older adults with chronic medical illnesses. (Source: Clinical Case Studies)
Source: Clinical Case Studies - July 13, 2015 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Marino, P., DePasquale, A., Sirey, J. A. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
An Application of Behavioral Activation Therapy for Major Depressive Disorder in the Context of Complicated Grief, Low Social-Economic Status, and Ethnic Minority Status
Behavioral activation (BA) has been shown to be an effective treatment for depression, especially for severe and/or chronic depression; however, there is little empirical guidance on how BA can be effectively utilized to treat chronic Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) in the context of complicated grief, low socioeconomic status, and ethnic minority status. This case study focuses on the treatment of Ms. X, a 51-year-old African American woman with chronic depression that was exacerbated by complicated grief. This case describes an effective course of a standard BA protocol for MDD in the context of complicated grief, low so...
Source: Clinical Case Studies - July 13, 2015 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Vergara-Lopez, C., Roberts, J. E. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
Treatment Guided by an Online Course: A Single Case Evaluation of TF-CBT for an Adolescent With Chronic Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
This article describes the successful treatment of a 16-year-old female presenting with chronic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) related to alleged childhood sexual abuse using trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT). Treatment was delivered by a graduate student who learned the treatment through the completion of an online training course and was supervised by a licensed clinical psychologist. Both the student and the supervisor had extensive training and experience in the delivery of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) interventions for adolescents. Several challenges were encountered, most notably the re...
Source: Clinical Case Studies - May 8, 2015 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Ford, H. A., Nangle, D. W. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Anxious Youth With a Physical Disability: A Case Study
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is the first-line psychological intervention for youth with an anxiety disorder. Despite the prevalence of anxiety in youth with physical disabilities, the application and evaluation of CBT for such youth is sparse. The current report illustrates ways to adapt, implement, and evaluate CBT for youth with anxiety and a physical disability describing "Olivia," a 12-year-old Caucasian female with generalized anxiety disorder, separation anxiety disorder, panic attacks, and cerebral palsy. Olivia received 24 one-hour sessions of outpatient CBT over the course of 9 months. At post-treatment, Ol...
Source: Clinical Case Studies - May 8, 2015 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Peterman, J. S., Hoff, A. L., Gosch, E., Kendall, P. C. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
Results of a Single Case Controlled Study of The Optimum Performance Program in Sports in a Collegiate Athlete
In this study, a sport-specific adaptation of Family Behavior Therapy (i.e., The Optimum Performance Program in Sports [TOPPS]) in a collegiate athlete was examined, including a controlled evaluation of several of its intervention components utilizing multiple-baseline methodology. After a 3-week baseline consisting of program orientation, cultural enlightenment, and goal development was established for unsafe sexual practices, alcohol binge drinking (four or more drinks per occasion), and teammate relationships, the participant was sequentially and cumulatively exposed to three distinct intervention phases across 12 meeti...
Source: Clinical Case Studies - May 8, 2015 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Chow, G. M., Donohue, B., Pitts, M., Loughran, T., Schubert, K. N., Gavrilova, Y., Diaz, E. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
A Systematic Case Examination of The Optimum Performance Program in Sports in a Combat Sport Athlete
The integration of athletics into higher education enriches the experience of student-athletes, and the advantages are both immediate and lifelong. However, it is well-documented that athletes experience unique stressors, and a deficiency exists of evidence-supported programs to concurrently promote goal achievement in mental health and sport performance. Therefore, this case examination reviews efficacious implementation of The Optimum Performance Program in Sports (TOPPS) in a collegiate combat sport athlete evidencing alcohol dependence and concurrent elevations in mental health symptoms. An AB experimental design with ...
Source: Clinical Case Studies - May 8, 2015 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Pitts, M., Donohue, B., Schubert, K. N., Chow, G. M., Loughran, T., Gavrilova, Y. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
Piloting A Family-Supported Approach to Concurrently Optimize Mental Health and Sport Performance in Athletes
In this study, we describe the initial process of empirically developing The Optimum Performance Program in Sports (TOPPS). We first review the need to adapt evidence-based behavioral interventions to optimize mental health in athletes. We then review the innovative features of TOPPS and report the results of our initial piloting of TOPPS in a series of case trials. Throughout this developmental process, we underscore our methods of addressing obstacles (e.g., stigma) that appear to have influenced the conspicuous absence of performance programming specific to mental health optimization in athletes. Recommendations are off...
Source: Clinical Case Studies - May 8, 2015 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Donohue, B., Chow, G. M., Pitts, M., Loughran, T., Schubert, K. N., Gavrilova, Y., Allen, D. N. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Individuals With Problematic Emotional Eating: A Case-Series Study
Emotional eating is characterized by eating in response to intense inner emotions, not hunger. This case-series study presents the outcomes from two adults with problematic emotional eating who voluntarily participated in 10 weekly sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Emotional eating was self-monitored daily prior to and throughout the course of treatment. The average number of emotional eating episodes reported weekly across participants at pre-treatment was nine, which decreased to one per week at post-treatment, and was two per week at follow-up. Both participants also showed improvements in body image flexib...
Source: Clinical Case Studies - February 25, 2015 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Hill, M. L., Masuda, A., Moore, M., Twohig, M. P. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
Social Skills Training for a Young Adult With Landau-Kleffner Syndrome
We present the differential diagnosis and treatment of Frank, a 26-year-old man with Landau–Kleffner syndrome (LKS). At the time of assessment, Frank was no longer suffering from primary symptoms of LKS; however, he presented with significant social and behavioral difficulties including social anxiety and social skills deficits. Frank participated in Social Effectiveness Therapy (SET), an empirically supported, multi-component behavioral treatment program aimed at reducing social anxiety and improving social functioning. Although Frank exhibited significant reductions in social anxiety at post-treatment, functional b...
Source: Clinical Case Studies - February 25, 2015 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Ragsdale, K. A., Bunnell, B. E., Beidel, D. C. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
Trauma Management Therapy for a Veteran With Co-Occurring Combat PTSD and Hallucinations: A Case Study
Despite the development of evidence-based treatment protocols for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), many clinicians are hesitant to begin trauma-focused treatment for individuals presenting with co-occurring conditions, particularly disorders with psychotic features. The current clinical case describes the treatment of a male veteran with PTSD with hallucinogenic features and recurrent depression who was treated with Trauma Management Therapy, a comprehensive treatment program for combat-related PTSD incorporating virtual-reality assisted exposure therapy and group therapy. Following treatment, the veteran demonstrated...
Source: Clinical Case Studies - February 25, 2015 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Arens, A. M. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
Treatment of Agoraphobia in a Pregnant Woman: A Combination of Exposure and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
A combination of exposure therapy techniques and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) strategies were used to treat a 23-year-old pregnant female who was housebound due to symptoms of agoraphobia. The client in this case study had not left her family home in 10 months when she sought treatment for her anxiety. The client was successfully treated over a year, such that she was able to receive prenatal care at an obstetrician’s office and to deliver her infant at a hospital. Neither the client nor her fetus suffered any complications due to treatment. Post-treatment and 1-year follow-up data indicated that the clien...
Source: Clinical Case Studies - February 25, 2015 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Cullinan, C. C., Gaynor, S. T. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
An Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)-Based Intervention for an Adult Experiencing Post-Stroke Anxiety and Medically Unexplained Symptoms
To date, there is little support for the use of any psychotherapy to address post-stroke anxiety. Similarly, there have been no trials of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for post-stroke anxiety, but clinician opinion suggests that an ACT approach may be effective in this context. In this case study, a high-functioning younger man with post-stroke anxiety and associated medically unexplained symptoms (chest pain and dizziness) was assessed and treated using an ACT approach. Mediators of change for both ACT (psychological flexibility) and cognitive therapy (illness perceptions) were recorded as were measures of depre...
Source: Clinical Case Studies - February 25, 2015 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Graham, C. D., Gillanders, D., Stuart, S., Gouick, J. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
A Case Series of a Behavioral Activation-Enhanced Smoking Cessation Program for Inpatient Substance Users With Elevated Depressive Symptoms
We present detailed descriptions of the treatment they received and the challenges they faced. Our clients, who received five individual BA-enhanced smoking cessation sessions and two follow-up booster sessions, benefited significantly from the BA treatment. Over an 8-week follow-up period, they did not relapse to smoking and experienced significant decreases in depressive symptoms. This suggests BA may be a beneficial treatment strategy for this particularly challenging population. (Source: Clinical Case Studies)
Source: Clinical Case Studies - December 26, 2014 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Banducci, A. N., Long, K. E., MacPherson, L. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
A Cognitive-Behavioral Approach for Anxiety in a Preschool-Aged Child With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Empirical support exists for behaviorally oriented psychosocial interventions to reduce functional impairment related to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptoms in young children, but little research exists examining the effectiveness of such treatments when applied to preschool-aged children with comorbid anxiety symptoms. With this in mind, the authors report on the case of "Marcus," a 4-year-old boy with autistic disorder and impairing comorbid anxiety. Marcus participated in 8 weekly sessions of family-based cognitive-behavioral therapy, addressing his fear-based avoidance of social interactions and sensory stimuli, us...
Source: Clinical Case Studies - December 26, 2014 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Nadeau, J. M., Arnold, E. B., Selles, R. R., Storch, E. A., Lewin, A. B. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
Promoting Resilience in Children Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence Through a Developmentally Informed Intervention: A Case Study
A significant proportion of children exposed to intimate partner violence (IPV) are preschool-aged, yet few interventions exist for this population. Those interventions that do exist focus primarily on reducing psychopathology, without addressing the range of potential outcomes, including resilient functioning. This case study considers the treatment of Alexis, a 6-year-old, African American girl who was referred for services following exposure to IPV. At her initial intake, she not only showed evidence of posttraumatic stress but also exhibited characteristics of resilient functioning. Over the course of a 10-session grou...
Source: Clinical Case Studies - December 26, 2014 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Howell, K. H., Miller, L. E., Barnes, S. E., Graham-Bermann, S. A. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
