You may not be aware of this but Flinders has its own Posttraumatic Stress Clinic. It delivers therapy as part of research trials.
This provides at least one potential treatment avenue for students or staff with posttraumatic stress symptoms.
I’ve reproduced the information from their site below and also highlighted one of their current trials (Stepped Trial) that is taking participants.
The Posttraumatic Stress Clinic offers treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD following a range of traumatic events. This includes childhood trauma, exposure to family violence, interpersonal assault including physical assault, sexual assault and/or domestic violence, and single-incident events (eg, motor vehicle and workplace accidents). We also see people who have been exposed to trauma through their occupation (eg, police, ambulance, firefighters, veterans and active service duty personnel).
What we do
We offer evidence-based therapies for posttraumatic stress (typically cognitive-behavioural, eg Cognitive Processing Therapy). In accordance with best practice, we conduct a comprehensive assessment to ensure the therapy we offer is appropriate to address an individual’s specific post-trauma needs and monitor progress throughout therapy with brief questionnaires. The therapies are offered in the context of research trials where we investigate how to make existing therapies more effective. For further information about trauma-focussed therapies and trauma treatment, visit these sites: Phoenix Australia, UK Guidelines, USA National PTSD website).
Stepped trial
This project investigates an online stepped-care approach designed to help people recover after experiencing traumatic events. The stepped-care approach can involve two stages of help, in which a person receiving therapy is matched to the level of therapy that most suits their current need.
Am I eligible for the Stepped trial?
To be eligible for the Stepped trial, we require you to:
- be over 18 years of age
- have been directly or indirectly exposed to a traumatic event at any age (eg assault, motor vehicle accident, child trauma etc)
- have been exposed four or more weeks prior to inclusion in the study
- have met the threshold for PTSD (symptoms include but are not limited to: distressing and unwanted memories, avoiding thoughts, feelings and reminders of the trauma, having strong negative thoughts such as self-blame, and feeling alert, unsafe or having problems with sleep, anger or concentration)
- have access to the internet (therapy is delivered online via web-based camera)
If you are uncertain about being eligible for the trial, please contact us (see below) for further information.
What does the Stepped trial involve?
If you choose to take part in the study, you will initially undergo a phone screening to determine your eligibility to participate. Following confirmation of your eligibility, you will be interviewed by a registered or advanced trainee psychologist and you will also be asked to complete questionnaires about your life experiences and symptoms.
Therapy involves working through eight weekly topics online each week that teach you skills to help recover from PTSD. You will also have weekly contact with a therapist who will help you get the most out of these topics. This contact is usually 15min each week. If you and your therapist think it is necessary, this can be followed by up to 15 individual therapy sessions of Cognitive Processing Therapy (60min each) delivered online to address any remaining PTSD issues.
After therapy you will participate in two more assessments (interview and completing questionnaires), the first immediately after therapy and the second 3-6 months after therapy to monitor your progress.
No costs are associated with participating in this trial, nor will you be paid.
What are the benefits?
Although we cannot predict whether you will benefit from the treatment offered to you in this trial, people who have received similar therapies in the past have reported to have gained at least some benefit. It is hoped that the information gathered in this research will help increase understanding of the best ways to offer treatment to individuals who have been traumatised.
Why is the Stepped trial important?
This project is about improving the reach and access of evidence-based treatments. From a public health point of view, the online delivery of stepped-care can improve the lives of significantly more PTSD sufferers than offered by current traditional delivery methods. Therefore the aim of this project is to test the feasibility and effectiveness of a stepped-care approach to treating PTSD in adults, using online and telehealth technology.
Who is conducting the Stepped trial?
The study is being conducted by Professor Reg Nixon from Flinders University, and is funded by the Break Through Mental Health Research Foundation.
To contact them phone (08) 8201 5995 or email traumaunit@flinders.edu.au