(PS10-C55) Cultivating Positive Emotional Engagement in the Aftermath of a Destabilizing Life Event: A Case Study Utilizing Positive Processes and Transitions to Health (PATH)

Traumatic, or destabilizing, life events are implicated in the onset of numerous mental health disorders including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depressive disorder (MDD). Efficacious treatments for stressor-related psychopathology exist, such as prolonged exposure, yet not everyone fully benefits from these interventions, with up to 50% remaining symptomatic. Moreover, estimates suggest that up to 40% of individuals drop out of treatment early. Positive Processes and Transition to Health (PATH) is a novel transdiagnostic intervention that focuses on building adaptive processes following destabilizing life events, promoting constructive processing, approach, and positive emotional engagement. PATH consists of 6 weekly, 60-90 min sessions that include psychoeducation regarding adaptive and maladaptive processes, negative event revisiting and positive event reminiscing, and engagement with and savoring of positive events. We present a case of a 42-year-old white female who experienced distress and impairment in the aftermath of providing end of life care for a family member during the COVID-19 pandemic. Severity of PTSD (PSS-I-5) and MDD symptoms (QIDS-C), and degree of positive emotional engagement (PANAS) were assessed at across treatment. Throughout treatment she displayed a significant decrease in distress when revisiting the destabilizing life event, and greater engagement in positive experiences in her daily life. The client showed a 70% decrease in PTSD severity, 73% decrease in MDD symptoms, and 69% increase in positive affect engagement. After six sessions, the client no longer met diagnostic criteria for PTSD or MDD. This case study provides an example of the potential utility of this brief, mechanistically precise, transdiagnostic intervention for improving PTSD and depression related to destabilizing life events and cultivating positive emotional engagement.