A Retrospective Pilot Study of Imagery Rehearsal Therapy Enhanced with Narrative Therapy Principles for the Treatment of Nightmares in US Military Veterans
Ann Marie Wagner,
Anne Richards,
Christine Chiros,
Paul Thuras,
Elizabeth C. Parsons,
Angela D. Oien,
Carlos H. Schenck,
Muna Irfan
Affiliations
Ann Marie Wagner
Mental Health Services, Minneapolis Veteran's Affairs (VA) Health Care System, Minneapolis, MN, United States of America
Anne Richards
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States of America
Christine Chiros
Mental Health Services, Minneapolis Veteran's Affairs (VA) Health Care System, Minneapolis, MN, United States of America
Introduction Chronic nightmares are a common and disabling feature of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for which broadly effective treatments are still lacking. While imagery rehearsal therapy (IRT) demonstrates benefits for patients with idiopathic nightmares and some patients with PTSD-related nightmares, research indicates it may be less beneficial for veterans. Narrative therapy (NT) is a form of psychotherapy which is client-centered and value-focused and has demonstrated benefits for PTSD patients. The application of NT principles to IRT may provide a valuable therapeutic approach for treatment in veterans.
