Korean Medicine and Psychotherapy for Acute Stress Disorder Following Traffic Accident: A Case Report

Objectives: To report the effectiveness of Korean medicine-based psychotherapy, including Giungoroen-therapy and IiGyeungByunQi-therapy, combined with traditional Korean medicine treatments for acute stress disorder(ASD) patients induced by a traffic accident.Methods: A patient with ASD, including panic-like symptoms, was treated with an integrated approach combining Korean medicine and Korean medicine-based psychotherapy. Treatment outcomes were evaluated using standardized assessment tools(GAD-7, EQ-5D-5L, NRS, PGIC, ODI, and NDI) throughout the three-month treatment period.Results: The patient showed significant improvement in psychological symptoms. GAD-7 scores peaked at 18, decreased to 6 by the 24th day, and stabilized at 2 after two months. The EQ-5D-5L anxiety/depression domain showed complete resolution by the second month. Physical symptoms measured by NRS, ODI, and NDI demonstrated continuous improvement.Conclusions: This case suggests that Korean Medicine and Korean medicine-based psychotherapy may effectively manage ASD and prevent PTSD progression. Further research with larger cohorts is needed.