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Open access. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a commonly occurring mental illness. There are multiple treatments for PTSD that have similar effectiveness, but these treatments differ substantially in other ways. It is desirable to have well-informed patients involved in treatment choices. A patient decision aid (PtDA) is one method to achieve this goal. This manuscript describes the rationale and development of a patient decision aid (PtDA) designed for patients with PTSD.
Military Psychology 28.2 (Mar 2016): 115-122.
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has a primary etiology in experiencing psychological trauma and the subsequent psychological sequelae (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). There are multiple trauma types that may serve as the index trauma in PTSD. This exploratory study compared DSM–5 PTSD symptoms for 3 types of trauma in veterans: combat trauma (n = 36), sexual trauma (n = 21), and civilian trauma (n = 21). Results indicated that veterans with combat trauma were likely to experience diminished interest and detachment and estrangement from others. Veterans with sexual trauma were likely to experience detachment and estrangement from others, sleep disturbances, and problems with concentration. Veterans with civilian traumas were less likely to meet criteria for PTSD and were less likely to experience a number of PTSD symptoms. Results of this preliminary study suggest that PTSD is not a unitary disorder, but a disorder characterized by different subtypes based on the precipitating trauma.
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In the latest in a series of blogs about health care for ex-service personnel, wife Jane (not her real name) gives heartfelt insight into what it is like for the families of veterans scarred by what they have seen and been through
Journal of Family Psychology 30.1 (Feb 2016): 63-71.
The existing literature has shown that war veterans’ posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms are associated with a higher level of distress in their female partners. However, less agreement exists regarding the sources of this distress and the mechanism by which this process occurs. The current study examined the consequences of Israeli war veterans’ PTSD on their female partners, as manifested by the females’ PTSD symptoms, mental health status, and functioning, while taking into account females’ earlier traumatic events. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details
Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy8.3 (May 2016): 384-392.
Objective: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a major public health concern. Although effective treatments exist, affected individuals face many barriers to receiving traditional care. Smartphones are carried by nearly 2 thirds of the U.S. population, offering a promising new option to overcome many of these barriers by delivering self-help interventions through applications (apps). As there is limited research on apps for trauma survivors with PTSD symptoms, we conducted a pilot feasibility, acceptability, and potential efficacy trial of PTSD Coach, a self-management smartphone app for PTSD. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details
Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy8.3 (May 2016): 348-355.
Objective: Evidence for treatment efficacy does not guarantee adoption in clinical practice. Attitudinal “buy-in” from clinicians is also important. This study examines evaluation data from a national training program in an evidence-based treatment for PTSD, Prolonged Exposure (PE) therapy, to assess changes in clinician beliefs related to the importance of specific treatment goals, PE outcome expectations, self-efficacy to deliver PE, perceived time and emotional burdens associated with delivering PE, and intentions to use PE. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details
Efficacy of pre-trauma prevention for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has not yet been established in a randomized controlled trial. Attention bias modification training (ABMT), a computerized intervention, is thought to mitigate stress-related symptoms by targeting disruptions in threat monitoring. We examined the efficacy of ABMT delivered before combat in mitigating risk for PTSD following combat. You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.
It is unclear which potentially modifiable risk factors best predict post-trauma psychiatric disorders. We aimed to identify pre-trauma risk factors for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or major depression (MD) that could be targeted with resilience interventions. You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.
Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy8.5 (Sep 2016): 585-591.
Objective: To investigate the relative contributions of depression and dissociation, as well as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), to physical health symptoms and to examine the relationships among somatic symptoms, PTSD, depression, and dissociation in relation to childhood and adult trauma exposure. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy8.5 (Sep 2016): 601-608.
Objective: The fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM–5) characterizes the dissociative subtype of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in terms of the individual meeting the criteria for PTSD and additionally reporting symptoms of depersonalization and/or derealization. The current study aimed to examine whether a dissociative PTSD profile may include alternative features of dissociation and whether it could be differentiated from a nondissociative PTSD profile on certain psychopathologies and demographics. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
Psychological Services (Aug 29, 2016).
This study tested the hypothesis that inpatient/residential treatment for PTSD associated with military duty should result in significantly lower PTSD symptoms at patient discharge compared to patient intake. Meta-analysis of effects comparing intake and discharge PTSD symptoms from 26 samples, reported in 16 studies, supported this hypothesis (d = −.73; p < .00001). Moderator analysis indicated between-study variation in PTSD symptom changes was predominantly due to the type of measure used, with the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale producing the largest effect (d = −1.60). Larger effects were also observed for more recently published studies and studies with larger percentages of females. These findings support the efficacy of inpatient treatment for military PTSD, although a causal factor for effectiveness could not be identified. Further, the results indicate between-program comparisons of symptom reduction require the same measure of PTSD. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
A motor vehicle collision (MVC) is one of the most common life-threatening events experienced by individuals living in the USA. While most individuals recover following MVC, a significant proportion of individuals develop adverse post-traumatic sequelae such as post-traumatic stress disorder or persistent musculoskeletal pain. Adverse post-traumatic sequelae are common, morbid and costly public health problems in the USA and other industrialised countries. The pathogenesis of these disorders following MVC remains poorly understood. In the USA, available data suggest that African-Americans experience an increased burden of adverse post-traumatic sequelae after MVC compared to European Americans, but to date no studies examining the pathogenesis of these disorders among African-Americans experiencing MVC have been performed. Open Access Article
Traumatology: An International Journal22.3 (Sep 2016): 214-221.
The Trauma and Attachment Belief Scale (TABS; Pearlman, 2003) was developed to evaluate levels of cognitive schema disruption in 5 areas (safety, trust, intimacy, control, and esteem) identified by constructivist self-development theory as being sensitive to the effects of trauma. Although the TABS has been used to assess the effects of trauma in various populations commonly exposed to traumatic experiences, it has yet to be applied to a sample of partners of military service members, a population past research has identified as being exposed to secondary trauma related to partner military deployment. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.