Treating chronic nightmares of sexual assault survivors with an intellectual disability

Background Imagery rehearsal therapy for people who suffer from recurring nightmares has been shown to be a successful intervention. Very little research has been conducted on post-traumatic nightmare sufferers with learning disabilities. Method This paper presents two case studies to illustrate the application of an adapted form of imagery rehearsal therapy to adults with learning disabilities. Results Both descriptive cases indicated that the intervention resulted in significant reductions in distress because of nightmares and provided some evidence that these positive results were generalized into waking life. Conclusions As a short and simple method, imagery rehearsal therapy appears to be very suitable for people with learning disabilities.