Reference no: EM132236522

Question: 400 words

This week, we consider the many options for treatment in disaster situations.

• Using the course materials as a guide, identify the treatment option(s) you would deploy in a specific disaster situation, explaining your rationale for the selection(s).

• In addition, discuss the population(s) the treatment will be used with and why this is the most appropriate choice for the population(s) identified.

Treatment options that you could use in this assignment are : cognitive behavior therapy, mindfulness therapy as well as below.

Treatment Options: Pharmacological Intervention

Pharmacological intervention and treatment of PTSD has shown great promise in both the treatment of persistent PTSD symptoms as well as in preventing the onset of PTSD after a traumatic event. The avenues of pharmacological treatment are different for both cases due to the body chemistry involved at differing stages of the disorder. For early treatment prior to onset, mental health professionals may want to choose an intervention that helps prevent the consolidation of trauma-related memories early. This can be achieved by drugs that block glutamatergic activity (Steckler, 2012). Alternatively, for established and long-term symptoms of PTSD, different pharmacological intervention may be desired that eliminates the memories entirely (Steckler, 2012).

Preventative treatment for PTSD can be administered via many different paths. One that has shown promise is a pharmacological intervention to enhance stress coping and resilience. Drugs that blockade the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) prior to trauma have been shown to reduce stress and the associated symptoms of PTSD occurring after the culmination of disaster or tragic events. One difficulty with this type of treatment is its limited use. It is rare that individuals know they are going to be exposed to traumatic events (except in the case of military actions), thus making dosage prior to exposure problematic (Steckler, 2012).

Once it has been established that an individual suffers from PTSD, pharmacological treatment options shift. Mental health providers might consider utilizing drug therapies targeting the emotional response exhibited by patients, including the expression of fear or other non-cognitive symptoms associated with PTSD. Alternatively, therapies addressing cognitive processes associated with PTSD such as how patients retrieve negative or traumatic memories and the elimination of fear-related memories. Currently, treatments suppressing only non-cognitive PTSD symptoms are the only approved pharmacological therapeutic strategies available to mental health professionals (Steckler, 2012). Drugs targeting the cognitive functions of suffers are not approved for use now.

Anti-Depressive Therapy As Well