Nursing care for a young woman with post-traumatic stress disorder

Abstract

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) appears after experiencing a catastrophic or threatening event and presents with avoidance behaviour, re-experiencing and hypervigilance; its worldwide prevalence is around 3.5%, it is more frequent in women and children are especially vulnerable. We present the case of a 19-year-old woman with PTSD, with a history of childhood sexual abuse, loss of social support and two previous admissions for suicide attempts, who is admitted with self-harm and no awareness of illness. After assessment according to Marjory Gordon’s functional health patterns, a care plan was developed with the NANDA, NOC and NIC taxonomies (post-trauma syndrome, ineffective coping and rape-trauma syndrome). After a first week of close observation due to the reopening of her wounds, and thanks to the multidisciplinary team approach and participation in coping, impulse-control and music therapy sessions, the patient improved and involved her family in understanding PTSD, being referred to the day hospital, underlining the need for an individualized, multidisciplinary approach in victims of sexual violence.