Use of Prolonged Exposure Therapy in Discharge Planning

Social workers are more than just discharge planners within a hospital setting. In fact, licensed social workers are credentialed to provide therapeutic interventions such as counseling to enhance the discharge planning process. This case study narrative examines prolonged exposure therapy (PE) as an intervention for the discharge of a female veteran psychiatrically hospitalized for one year. The methodology was selected in response to the dearth of research regarding the psychotherapeutic use of PE during the discharge planning process. The veteran in this study experienced both guilt and shame related to her psychiatric hospitalization and was avoidant of her discharge. There is a scarcity of research that examines the impact of distorted beliefs associated with a prolonged hospital stay and the psychotherapeutic approaches within discharge planning in either the medical or psychiatric hospital settings. This article attempts to fill in the gaps in research by specifically reviewing the use of PE to reduce distorted thoughts of guilt and shame because of the fear of returning home posthospitalization.