Date of Award

2025

Document Type

Project

College/School

College of Nursing

Degree Name

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Project Mentor

Therry Eparwa

Readers

Forest Dobbs

Abstract

The prevalences of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and major depressive disorder (MDD) have risen significantly in recent years, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic. Many individuals remain symptomatic despite conventional treatments, highlighting the need for novel, integrative interventions. Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB), a procedure targeting the cervical sympathetic chain to modulate the autonomic nervous system, has emerged as a promising therapy for treatment-resistant psychiatric symptoms. Evaluating data from the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), this retrospective study examined the clinical outcomes of PTSD, anxiety, and depression symptoms from SGB treatment in 78 participants at the AIMS Institute, an outpatient integrative medical clinic in Seattle, Washington. There were statistically and clinically significant reductions in metric scores for PTSD (mean Δ = -17.05, p < .001), anxiety (mean Δ = -4.54, p < .001), and depression (mean Δ = -3.86, p < .001) symptoms in participants who received at least two SGB treatments. Moreover, these observed changes had large effect sizes. Even in participants without formal diagnoses, improvements within all three symptoms were evident, suggesting SGB may benefit individuals with subthreshold symptoms. These findings support the integration of SGB as an adjunctive intervention for trauma-related disorders. Future studies are warranted to examine long-term effectiveness, predictors of treatment response, and health equity implications.

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