Psychology Commons^™

The Impact Of Trauma Subtypes On Ptsd Severity In Syrian Child And Adolescent Refugees, Liza Hinchey, Lana Grasser, Bassem Saad, Kathleen Gorski, Arash Javanbakht, May Chammaa

Medical Student Research Symposium

Background:

Child and adolescent refugee populations are at increased risk for psychiatric disorders including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anxiety. Recent studies have demonstrated different symptomatology based on the type(s) of traumatic events experienced. Cluster analyses based on the Life Events Checklist (LEC) indicate three trauma subtypes: accidental/injury, victimization, and predominant death threat. Extending this line of research from adults to youth may lead to better understanding of the unique impacts of trauma subtypes on symptoms for improved prediction of risk and resilience.

Methods:

Refugee participants were recruited within 1 month of their resettlement in the U.S. Data used were …

Ptsd Perceptions In U.S. Military Members And Their Families: A Qualitative Study, Jennifer L. Thomson

Psychology Educator Scholarship

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a chronic and debilitating disorder characterized by hypervigilance and recurrent, intrusive memories of the traumatic event. Estimates for lifetime prevalence of PTSD diagnoses for United States military personnel vary widely from 10% to more than 30%. The current study aimed to investigate the attitudes and beliefs regarding PTSD and its diagnosis and treatment within U.S. military service members and their families. An online survey was administered to current and former members of the U.S. military and members of their immediate families. The results revealed low levels of mental health stigma and positive attitudes toward treatment …

Exploring Attentional And Emotional Biases As A Function Of Trauma And Dissociation Symptomology, Claudia Clinchard

Department of Psychology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

There is evidence that threatening facial expressions (e.g., angry faces) direct attention toward the target, and that for facial expressions that are less threatening but still convey negative valence (e.g., fear faces) direct attention outward and to one’s environment, therefore causing a shift in memory performance and attentional bias depending on the level of threat in emotional facial expressions presented. Extant literature provides evidence for attentional biases both towards and away from threat in those with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomology. The current study aimed to replicate the previous findings of the effects stimulus and emotion have on memory performance …

Social Work Trauma Interventions: Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Kassie Baumann

Senior Honors Theses

According to Lynne Weilart (2013), in her article on the reasons why people seek out therapy, trauma is the number one reason people attend counseling. Many different trauma-informed approaches are designed specifically to address the consequences of trauma and to facilitate healing. Some of these approaches are as follows: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT); Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT);Mentalization Based Therapy (MBT); Trauma Systems Therapy (TST); Trauma Assessment Pathway (TAP); and Attachment, Self-Regulation, and Competency (ARC) (de Arellano, Danielson, Ko, & Sprauge, 2008). The effectiveness of each trauma intervention will be examined. DBT is one of these trauma interventions that is growing …

Mdma-Assisted Psychotherapy For Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Review Of The Literature, Erin Solomon

Student Works

A growing number of people suffer chronic, treatment-resistant posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD; Amoroso & Workman, 2016; Buoso, Doblin, Farré, Alcázar, & Gómez-Jarabo, 2008; Mithoefer, Wagner, Mithoefer, Jerome, & Doblin, 2011; Oehen, Traber, Widmer, & Schnyder, 2013). The most popular treatments, including exposure therapy, may not be effective for some people (Amoroso & Workman, 2016; Mithoefer et al., 2011). Treatment dropout and suicidality are high among people for whom therapy is minimally effective (Amoroso, 2015; Amoroso & Workman, 2016; Mithoefer et al., 2011; Oehen et al., 2013). Researchers have begun to investigate 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-assisted psychotherapy as a possible treatment for PTSD …

Suicidal Ideation In Patients Hospitalized For Emergency Medical Treatment Related To Physical Trauma: Effects Of Posttraumatic Stress And Depression, Erin E. Carney

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Survivors of physical trauma may be at increased risk for developing suicidal ideation and behavior both during and after their inpatient hospitalization for medical treatment of wounds. It remains to be understood why a population hospitalized for nonpsychiatric reasons may ultimately develop a desire to take their own life. The current study sought to answer this question by hypothesizing that symptoms of posttraumatic stress (PTS) and depression during the recovery period individually mediated the relationship between physical pain and suicidal ideation. Researchers assessed these relationships in 246 patients who were receiving emergency medical treatment for wounds associated with a physically …

2nd Place Contest Entry: Treatment Of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder In A Veteran Population: Efficacy Of Complementary And Alternative Medicine Therapies, Brooke D. Snelgrove

Kevin and Tam Ross Undergraduate Research Prize

This is Brooke Snelgrove's submission for the 2014-2015 Kevin and Tam Ross Undergraduate Research Prize, which won second place. She wrote about the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among veterans with Complementary and Alternative Medicine therapies. You can read the final essay that came out of her research here.

Risk Factors For Posttraumatic Stress Disorder In Haitian Students, Gretel Silvestre, Pascale Anacréon, Michèle Théodore, Emmanuel Silvestre, Eugenia Garcia-Dubus

Publications and Research

The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in undergraduate students after the Haiti earthquake on January 12, 2010, as well as to identify the risk factors involved in the development of PTSD symptoms in this sample. Evaluations concerning depression, anxiety, risk and protective factors, and PTSD symptoms were conducted in 246 Haitian undergraduate students enrolled in a Dominican private university. Results indicate a prevalence of 36% for PTSD 2 years after the earthquake, with a high prevalence also of depression (31.7%) and anxiety (21.1%). Some of the risk factors identified are being …

The Post-Combat Couple Adjustment Questionnaire: A Preliminary Validation, Valerie Maine

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This dissertation presents the results of a psychometric study regarding the preliminary validation of The Post-Combat Couple Adjustment Questionnaire (PCCAQ). This measure was designed to assess post-combat and post-deployment adjustment for male veterans and their female partners. The measure was created using existing literature on veterans, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and couples. The PCCAQ consists of four domains of couple functioning, including: (a) redefining roles, expectations, and division of household responsibilities; (b) managing strong emotions; (c) abandoning emotional constriction and creating intimacy in relationships; and (d) creating a sense of shared meaning surrounding the deployment experience. The PCCAQ was compared …

Posttraumatic Stress And Myocardial Infarction Risk Perceptions In Hospitalized Acute Coronary Syndrome Patients, Donald Edmondson, Jonathan A. Shaffer, Ellen-Ge Denton, Daichi Shimbo, Lynn Clemow

Publications and Research

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is related to acute coronary syndrome (ACS; i.e., myocardial infarction or unstable angina) recurrence and poor post-ACS adherence to medical advice. Since risk perceptions are a primary motivator of adherence behaviors, we assessed the relationship of probable PTSD to ACS risk perceptions in hospitalized ACS patients (n = 420). Participants completed a brief PTSD screen 3-7 days post-ACS, and rated their 1-year ACS recurrence risk relative to other men or women their age. Most participants exhibited optimistic bias (mean recurrence risk estimate between "average" and "below average"). Further, participants who screened positive for current PTSD (n …

Efficacy Of Psychoeducational Group Therapy In Reducing Symptoms Of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among Multiply Traumatized Women, Hadar Lubin, Michelle Loris, John Burt, David Read Johnson

Psychology Faculty Publications

Objective: The role of group therapy in treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been traditionally restricted to issues of self-esteem and interpersonal relationships, rather than primary symptoms of the disorder. In this study, the authors examined the effectiveness of a 16-week trauma-focused, cognitive-behavioral group therapy, named Interactive Psychoeducational Group Therapy, in reducing primary symptoms of PTSD in five groups (N=29) of multiply traumatized women diagnosed with chronic PTSD. Method: The authors made assessments at baseline, at 1-month intervals during treatment, at termination, and at 6-month follow-up by using self-report and structured interview measures of PTSD and psychiatric symptoms. The …