With reference to relevant research, critically examine the application of psychological theory in relation to the psychological needs and clinical experience of one clinically relevant client group

1. Running head: PSYCHOLOGICAL THEORIES ADDRESSING PTSD IN MEN 1
Psychological Theories Addressing PTSD in Men
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Psychological Theories Addressing PTSD in Men
PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) is a disorder that affects people who might have
experienced traumatizing situations. Nonetheless, not everybody with PSTD may have
experienced frightening events. Some individuals develop the problem from different factors
which include; death of their loved ones, lack of support after terrifying incidents, and feeling
that they are not in control. People with PSTD develop fear even in the absence of danger. The
outcome is that one tends to overreact and respond to non-relevant issues abruptly. According to
Ehlers and Clark (2008), from the general demography women are three times more likely to get
PTSD than men; women are more likely to experience domestic and sexual assault than men.
Payne (2014), asserts that “people who experience significant emotional events can be left with
debilitating struggles and painful memories,” (p. 106). Some military men develop the disorder
after war having seen their life and that of colleagues in danger, observed deaths and identifying
with life’s unpredictability. According to Barlow (2014), military men are more vulnerable; there
is a 4% greater chance of men projecting PTSD diagnosis than women after being involved in a
military war zone. Some of the symptoms of PTSD include; emotional cut off from others,
having difficulty in sleeping, having trouble in concentration, feeling numb, emotional irritation,
and having vivid memories and flashbacks. PTSD patients develop trust issues, and such makes
treatment processes tougher since they are unwilling to talk about past events so as to commence
the healing process, (Kar, 2011). The symptoms can cause problems with communication and
loss of trust; consequently, relationships challenges emerge as individuals lose connection with
family and friends. PSTD can be treated through counseling and medication. Male patients are
particularly a delicate part of PTSD patients because they project an array of psychological needs
and can respond well to a variety of therapeutic treatments bases on social theories.

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Psychological needs are mental needs that motivate an individual to perform a particular
activity and meet his or her goals. In consonance with, Wilson, Friedman, and Lindy (2012), an
appreciation of cultural diversity, understanding trauma character and causes, and assessment, as
well as the projection of injury impact, are crucial to the development of patient-centered
treatment programs. Men with PSTD have special psychological needs which include the desire
to feel loved, self-esteem, a sense of security, a sense of belonging, and the feeling of
development. Everyone needs to be cared for and more so to feel loved. Such phenomenon offers
an explanation to why people wish to develop a meaningful connection with other human beings.
In harmony with Levi (2017), patients need psychological support; for instance, desensitization
helps expose some causes of PTSD and improve the healing process. PTSD patients of male
gender need affection from society. Acting in a manner that ensures that every individual feels
accepted results to a positive relationship development between affected individuals and subject
communities. Men with PSTD tend to develop an inferiority complex if they are ignored by
society.
Human beings desire to contribute to society’s development and men with PSTD depict
greater need to feel useful. Involvement in socially progressive roles allows patients to
commence healing as affected people do not feel crippled by the outcomes of traumatizing
events. People are enslaved by the need to experience emotional, spiritual, intellectual, and
physical growth. Growth defines a sense of purpose; an individual’s experiences of development
establish life’s direction and give them something to live for. According to Greenberg, Brooks,
and Dunn (2015), PTSD patients need to experience change; however, such change must be
fashioned in a way that inspires them to view themselves positively. Men with PSTD experience
the need for change and diversity that challenges one and provides new opportunities. Patients

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should be exposed to different working environment and position so that they can perform well.
Male PTSD patients mistrust other members of society; such realities wreck their relationships
and trigger dire need for safety. The need for comfort and safety in both relations and
environment is a prominent observation. Every individual projects a unique level of confidence.
People with PSTD should be assured of security in their families and at the workplace. Society
and concerned persons should find a way to make Men with PSTD feel comfortable and relaxed
so as to build a sense of security and confidence.
Some psychological theories offer insight into the matter of men with PSTD. Such
theories include; attribution theory, stability, the locus of control, and controllability. Attribution
theory explains how people attach meaning to social behavior. It tries to assume that people are
motivated to determine why they do what they do, and how it affects human behavior. The
theory has three characteristics of attribution that can affect future. Stable attribution for an
achievement leads to positive expectations, thus higher motivation for success in future.
Similarly, negative situations can lead to lower expectations in future. In the case of unstable
attribution, the outcomes are related to the feeling of hopeless. Locus of control simply entails
the perception of the cause of any event, whether internal or external. Lehrer and Woolfolk
(2007) found that there exist “an interaction between expectancy and internal locus of control in
predicting the willingness to undertake an exercise,” (p.70). An individual believes that his or her
behavior is guided by external factors such as luck, fate or internal factors like ability and effort.
The feelings of pride and self-esteem emerge from such events as one gets an awakening.
Controllability is observed in events where a person believes that they could have performed
better by adopting specific approaches. Guilt and shame are the emotions experienced in such
events. Men with PSTD deserve specific feedback and emotional connection, they need to know

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that the people around them know and believe in their ability to improve. The theory offers a
means by which to prevent male patients from attributing their failure to lack of skills and
inspires them to see that success is controllable. The society should be kind enough as to
appreciate every effort regardless of the value of output.
Social cognitive theory is used in education, communication, and psychology. It holds
that portions of an individual’s knowledge acquisitions can be directly related to observing other
people interact and consuming media content. The theory states that when a person observes
another person’s behavior and sees the consequences of that action, he or she automatically
remembers the sequence of events and uses such information to guide the subsequent responses.
In consonance with Gardner (2014), learned habits are the source of one’s personality; patients
develop traits that should help them handle trauma. Observing the model can also make the
viewer practice the behavior they have learned. The media communicates to a vast array of
people in diverse social and environmental settings, and they influence an audience’s beliefs.
The environment where one grows up influences behavior development. Social cognitive theory
offers three behavioral approaches. Such approaches concern personal, behavioral, and
environmental mannerisms of understanding the social world. According to Pemberton and
Wainwright (2017), people interpret the social world based on the observation of conscious and
subconscious procedures. Personal approach gets the learner to believe in his or her abilities to
correctly complete an action. Behavioral perspective focuses on the response an individual gets
after performing a behavior. Environmental approach appreciates the aspects of an environment
that will influence the individual ability to complete a routine. Environmental conditions should
be empowering. In harmony with Pemberton and Wainwright (2017), social cognitive theory

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suggests that people are not driven by global traits but controlled by the environment. Societies
create guides and motivators for activities that lead to their desired outcome.
Theoretical applications to the treatment of men with PSTD have multiple purposes.
Theories allow practitioners to understand the causes of trauma, appreciate personality and
personality changes that could happen or have taken root, and inspire treatment strategy.
Understanding the origin of trauma is crucial, knowledge of the specific causes of trauma affords
a practitioner the opportunity to develop a suitable treatment plan. The absence of knowledge
about traumatic events inducing PSTD means that psychotherapy adopts a trial and era approach
where potential causes may be instigated accidentally. Men with PSTD tend to experience
personality change, and they forge a new personality that purposes to protect them from society.
The idea is that, character traits separating them from society should prevent the patients from
witnessing social challenges and reduce the chances of witnessing a repetition of traumatizing
life events. Such theoretical perspective explains the patient’s point of view. The development of
treatment relies on the theoretical interpretation of the cause of PSTD and practitioners consider
such information to reduce the chances of a relapse. However, the utilization of theories in PTSD
treatment does not guarantee or quantify results. According to Pemberton and Wainwright
(2017), find that the theories that respond to mental disorders have their share of limitations.
In conclusion, men with PTSD require therapy and psychological support to recover from
the challenges associated with traumatic experiences and feelings of lacking control. PTSD
which stands for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a condition that is triggered by traumatic
events. It is observed more among veteran and active military male personnel and defines a
significant percentage of distressed female domestic violence victims. People living with PTSD
do not exclusively comprise war witnesses and terrorism torture victims. A substantial

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percentage of patients are individuals who feel that they are not in control of their lives, those
that have lost family members or gone through another manner of traumatic experiences.
Psychotherapy and Meditation provide adequate solutions but require a keenly though out
diagnostic process. Familiarity with phenomena such as locus of control and social cognitive
theory offers a basis from where solutions can be forged.

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References
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Carr, A., & McNulty, M. (2014).The Handbook of Adult Clinical Psychology (1st ed.). Hoboken:
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Ehlers, A., & Clark, D. (2008). Post-traumatic stress disorder: The development of effective
psychological treatments. Nordic Journal Of Psychiatry, 62(sup47), 11-18.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08039480802315608
Gardner, B. (2014). A review and analysis of the use of ‘habit’ in understanding, predicting and
influencing health-related behaviour. Health Psychology Review, 9(3), 277-295.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17437199.2013.876238
Greenberg, N., Brooks, S., & Dunn, R. (2015). Latest developments in post-traumatic stress
disorder: diagnosis and treatment: Table 1. British Medical Bulletin, 114(1), 147-155.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/bmb/ldv014
Kar, N. (2011). Cognitive behavioral therapy for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder:
a review. Neuropsychiatric Disease And Treatment, 167. http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/ndt.s10389
Lehrer, P., &Woolfolk, R. (2007).Principles and Practice of Stress Management, Third Edition
(1st ed.). New York: Guilford Publications.

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Levi, O. (2017). From Traumatic Language to Posttraumatic Language: The Development of
Language in Therapy According to the “Phenomenon of Hope” Model. Psychoanalytic Social
Work, 24(1), 54-74. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15228878.2016.1278394
Payne, J. (2014). Change Your Brain, Change Your Life (Before 25) (1st ed.). Ontario, Canada:
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