Impulse control among PTSD patients: Pre and post intervention assessments

Pages:229-232
Rachana Kumari and Anjana Mukhopadhyay (Department of Psychology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh)

Trauma is a normal reaction to a horrible event, the effects can be so severe that they interfere with an individual’s ability to live a normal life. After an exposure to a traumatic event, some individuals may develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Often accompanied by other psychological disorders, PTSD is a complex condition that can be associated with significant morbidity, disability, and impairment of life functions. The aim of the present study was to assess the role of intervention in enhancing the impulse control ability of PTSD patients. Present investigation included 10 PTSD adult patients (18 to 40 years). Sample included both male and female hospitalized cases from various Trauma Centres of Varanasi. To assess the intensity of traumatic symptoms among patients PTSD checklist-civilian version (PCL-C) was administered. Impulse control of the sample was measured with the help of impulse control scale. As hypothesized PTSD patients initially reported significantly low level of impulse control in terms of negative affect index I, negative affect index II, positive and undifferentiated index, and endurance and persistence index all of which have reportedly significantly increased (p<.01) after intervention.