Psychiatric and Mental Health Commons^™

Psychological Adaptation In Colorectal Cancer Survivors: Pilot Study Findings, Anuja L. Sarode, Emily M. Su, Amber Kerstetter-Fogle, Steve Paciorek, Erica L. Laipply

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Background

In this pilot study, we examined psychological impacts of colorectal cancer (CRC), focusing on cancer-related posttraumatic stress disorder (CR-PTSD) symptoms, posttraumatic growth (PTG), and their relationship with coping strategies in surgically treated CRC patients.

Methods

This prospective pre- and postoperative pilot study assessed CRC patients at 2 time points, pre- and postoperative. Psychological symptoms were evaluated using the PTSD Checklist for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (PCL-5) and the PTG Inventory Short Form (PTGI-SF). Coping strategies were assessed using the Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (COPE) instrument. Changes in CR-PTSD, PTG, and coping …

Literature Review: Prazosin Used For Ptsd In Pregnancy, Afshan Khan, Natali Sharma, Rebekah M. Dietrich, Martin Forsberg

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) affects 3–4% of pregnant and postpartum individuals and is associated with complications such as preterm birth, low birth weight, and postpartum depression. Pharmacologic treatment options during pregnancy are limited by concerns about fetal safety.

Methods: A literature review was conducted focusing on studies reporting maternal or neonatal outcomes following prazosin exposure in pregnancy.

Results: One observational study of 11 pregnancies found 54.5% had uneventful outcomes, with rates of preterm birth, miscarriage, and preeclampsia similar to the general population. Hypotension and limited lactation data remain concerns.

Conclusion: Early evidence suggests prazosin may be a relatively safe and …

Comparison Of Patient Retention Of Pcl-5 Vs. Caps-5 In A Study On Tracking Ptsd Symptoms After A Mobile App Intervention, Kaylea Shoulders, Deep Patel, Muntaha Rana, Anne C. Jones

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Background: Due to mental health provider shortages, primary care providers are seeing more patients with mental health concerns.1 Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health concerns increased requiring primary care to adapt new multidisciplinary interventions to assist patients.2 When assessing patients for PTSD, either the CAPS-5 or PCL-5 can be used, but they have different qualities that may affect retention.

Hypothesis: The PCL-5 will have a higher retention due to the ease of administration.

Methods: Providers identified eligible patients at the Rowan-Virtua family medicine office in Sewell. Upon consent, the CAPS-5 or PCL-5 was administered, and then the PTSD Coach …

Spirituality And Ptsd Outcomes Among Service Members And Military Veterans, Jennifer Urbina Dmsc, Pa-C

Lynchburg Journal of Medical Science

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a prevalent and debilitating condition among military service members and veterans, often co-occurring with moral injury (MI) and spiritual distress (SD). While conventional PTSD treatments include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), exposure-based therapies, and pharmacological interventions, growing evidence suggests that spirituality may play a vital role in improving PTSD outcomes. This paper explores the integration of spirituality in PTSD treatment, examining its potential to mitigate symptoms, enhance resilience, and facilitate post-traumatic growth. Military chaplaincy, spiritually integrated therapies, and Department of Defense (DoD) holistic health models provide frameworks for addressing the spiritual dimensions of PTSD. Studies indicate …

The Role Of Trauma-Related Shame In Ptsd And Dissociation, Alexis Stokes

Bakerman Student Research Awards

Dissociation commonly occurs in response to traumatic events, and a dissociative subtype of PTSD is now recognized in the DSM-5. However, researchers have not established a clear consensus as to what factors separate individuals with general PTSD and PTSD with dissociative symptoms (PTSD-D). Negative affect—specifically shame—has been increasingly examined in psychotraumatology research. There is ample evidence that shame predicts and maintains symptom severity in PTSD patients, as well as that it can induce and maintain dissociative symptoms. The clear connection of shame to PTSD and dissociation suggests that it may be an important factor for conceptualizing PTSD-D; however, there is …

Neural Correlates Of Socially Rewarding Memories In Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Kyle P. Blidy

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Significance. Memory disturbances for emotional content are central to PTSD, yet most research focuses on trauma memories. Recent evidence suggests that enhancing access to positive memories could improve mood, affect regulation, self-esteem, and integration of trauma memories. However, the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying positive memory encoding in PTSD are poorly understood. No study has examined memory for positive social items in PTSD, which is important because PTSD entails social withdrawal and reduced accessibility to positive memory. Additionally, positive memories embedded in a social context have enhanced subjective value and strengthening their accessibility may confer greater benefits to wellbeing compared to non-social …

The Dry Bloodletting: A History Of The Diagnosis And Treatment Of Posttraumatic Stress Disorders In Military Service Members, Kevin Johnson

Masters Theses, 2020-current

This work is a close look at how veterans of war have been treated medically for ailents of the mind. This work looks closely at the many therapies and pharmaceutical remedies that have been perscribed to veterans with the advent of the field of psycology at the trun of the century. Sources included the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM), multiple clinical trials and white papers, records from the VA, etc. The reader should walk away with a better understanding of how the path towards healing invisble wounds has been mired with revictimization and controversy.

Investigation Of The Utility Of A Ptsd Coaching Mobile App To Address Mental Health Services Demand In A Primary Care Clinic: Analysis Of Caps-5 Measures, Sindhura Nemani, Danielle Rae Schweitzer, Anne C. Jones

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

The COVID-19 pandemic affected countless people globally, resulting in a greater need for mental health professionals and resources¹. The demand for mental health care is soaring yet the limitation of resources has strained the healthcare system, making it challenging to help patients in a timely manner². This poster represents a snapshot of a larger project that is striving to investigate an intervention to help bridge the gap between patient need and prompt referral through a warm handoff approach and use of the PTSD Coach mobile application as well as exploring patients’ satisfaction^3,4,5,6,8,9. In this …

Interprofessional Team Collaboration To Study Integrated Behavioral Health Services In Primary Care, Priya Srivastava, Sindhura Nemani, Danielle Schweitzer, Anne C. Jones

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

• In Rowan Family Medicine (Sewell, NJ), an interprofessional team of medical and clinical psychology professionals and trainees collaborate to investigate the integration of behavioral health in patients’ primary care visits.

• We screen patients for PTSD symptoms using the DSM CAPS-5 during their primary care visits

• The PTSD Coach app is then encouraged to use 3x a day

• By making mental health care more accessible to patients, we strive to help meet the increased demand and alleviate the strain our healthcare system is currently experiencing.

• The team composed of Medicine and Clinical Psychology allows students to gain invaluable experience in interdisciplinary …

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Doxazosin Immediate Release As Alternative Treatment For Nightmares In Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Case Report, Danyaal Khan, Christie Richardson, Martin Forsberg

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Nightmares and flashbacks are common debilitating symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that can disrupt daily functioning in patients. Prazosin, an alpha-1 adrenergic antagonist, has been commonly used off-label for the treatment of PTSD intrusion symptoms, although its short half-life is limiting. Doxazosin, another alpha-1 antagonist, is starting to be investigated in the treatment of PTSD-related nightmares due to its smaller side effect profile and longer half-life. In our case report, we present a case of a patient with PTSD-related nightmares who was successfully treated with doxazosin following relapse of symptoms after discontinuation of prazosin. The success of doxazosin immediate …

Predicting Hospitalization Risk Of Schizophrenia Patients In Missouri, Arun Kumar

Theses

Understanding the factors that contribute to the risk of hospitalization among individuals with schizophrenia is crucial for optimizing treatment strategies and improving patient outcomes. In this study, we used recent Medicaid adminis trative claims data in Missouri (from 2016 to 2019) and predicted the risk of hospitalization of patients diagnosed with Schizophrenia (N=143446). We ana lyzed the association between previous hospitalizations and the likelihood of future hospitalizations. We developed machine learning techniques, including logistic re gression and decision tree classifiers, to predict the risk of hospitalization based on demographic factors, clinical variables, and historical hospitalization records. Our findings reveal that …

A Systematic Review Of Digital Technology Use For The Treatment And Management Of Ptsd, Liam Browning, Arash Javanbakht, Imran Rashid

Medical Student Research Symposium

The COVID-19 pandemic led to rapid growth in telemental health services and investment in digital mental health technologies. Digital mental health technologies could expand access to mental health care in a time of increasing provider deficit by providing tools for expedited psychiatric symptom assessment and management. This systematic review explores the current evidence for the use of scalable digital treatment modalities, including virtual reality (VR), machine learning, wearables, mobile apps, and neurofeedback training in the diagnosis and treatment of PTSD. Our findings support the current literature suggesting VR interventions are efficacious for combat-related PTSD treatment and that conclusions of studies …

Improving Awareness And Identifying Risks For Emergence Delirium In Military Veterans, Hannah E. Pino

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background: Emergence delirium (ED) is an acute state of confusion during the recovery phase from anesthesia that may be life-threatening, especially in the veteran population. Military veteran status may be explored by the Have You Ever Served questionnaire that was developed by the American Academy of Nursing to identify veterans upon admission to the hospital and thus be able to better care for them during their stay. This campaign has been in effect at the hospital site of this project for nearly 10 years. The questionnaire identifies military history risk factors such as combat history or a diagnosis of post-traumatic …

Reconceptualizing Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: An Evolutionary Concept Analysis And Clinical Guide, Jessica Livingston

Doctoral Projects

Conflicting models of how trauma manifests into identifiable symptoms have been a source of controversy and perplexity among practicing mental health clinicians and diagnosticians. Complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) is now an internationally recognized diagnosis since its inclusion in the 11^th version of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) in 2018. The American Psychological Association (APA) does not share this recognition of CPTSD as an individual diagnosis and instead opted to update the diagnostic criteria for PTSD to include DSO and a 4^th category of dissociative features rather than include CPTSD as a separate …

Second-Victimhood Among Anesthesia Providers & The Effects On Patient Outcomes, Erika Aitken

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Anesthesia providers work in environments promoting productivity with tremendous pressure to begin the next case regardless of any recent adverse events that may have occurred (Wands, 2021). Certified nurse anesthesiologists (CRNAs) potentially struggle with a lack of recognition, a high number of hours, inadequate work-life balance, and limited professional advancement, which all contribute to high stress levels within the field (Andrade & Dantas, 2015). A healthcare professional involved in an unexpected adverse event, medical error, or patient-related injury is labeled as a second victim. Thirty anesthesia providers from a central Illinois hospital viewed a PowerPoint presentation, completed a survey, and …

Targeting Social Connection In The Context Of Trauma: Functional Outcomes And Mechanisms Of Change, Andrew J. Smith, David Pincus, Bernard P. Ricca

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

The current study presents and preliminarily tests a brief, theory driven intervention designed to target social connectivity as a transdiagnostic mechanism of health. We tested four hypotheses to examine whether and how explicitly targeting social behavior engagement (activating values-led behaviors towards specific network members) may improve other downstream aspects of social connectivity (i.e., social cognitions measured as loneliness, interpersonal closeness, perceived social support) and functioning (quality of life [QOL] and posttraumatic stress symptoms [PTS]). Methods. Participants included 15 patients (10 veterans, 5 firefighters) who completed the six-session intervention. Demographics: age (M = 46, SD = 17), 87% male, race (80% …

Case Series: Continued Remission Of Ptsd Symptoms After Discontinuation Of Prazosin, Christie Richardson, Jonathan Yuh, Jing Su, Martin Forsberg

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

Post-traumatic stress disorder is a debilitating chronic illness that affects 6 out of 100 adults after a severe trauma. The alpha-adrenergic antagonist prazosin, which is prescribed off-label for flashbacks and nightmares due to trauma, is often continued indefinitely due to reports of symptoms returning upon discontinuation. There is no standard guidance for a trial of discontinuation of prazosin due to intolerance or side effects. In this case series, three patients are started on prazosin leading to remission of trauma-related symptoms, and symptoms continue to remit after treatment for an average of about 2 years followed by discontinuation of the medication. …

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Among Healthcare Professionals Working In Emergency Transport And Critical Care Settings, Keenan Mai

Nursing | Student Research Posters

No abstract provided.

Moral Injury To Inform Analysis Of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Amanda Julia Manea

Senior Theses

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that almost one out of ten veterans struggle with. Although the National Center for PTSD has made extensive progress in characterizing and developing new treatments for PTSD, most veterans still experience symptoms of PTSD following treatment. Novel avenues of investigation, such as developing algorithms to review electronic health record (EHR) data and better understanding moral injury, are being pursued to address the gap that still exists when it comes to treating veterans. Moral injury is the individual evaluation of exposure to a potentially morally injurious event (PMIE) and can lead to …

Veteran Access To Mental Health Services And How It Contributes To The Rates Of Suicide, Kameron R. Grigsby

Kentucky Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship

This essay is an exploration of the access Veterans have to mental health services and how such access or lack thereof contributes to the rates of suicide among the Veteran population. The purpose of this essay is to examine various factors that influence Veteran access to mental health care and how these factors can be improved or eliminated. By analyzing such factors, healthcare professionals may begin to further implement provisions and practices to decrease the rising rate of suicides among Veterans.

Associations Between Mindfulness Meditation, Health Status, And Activity Limitation Among United States Armed Forces, Bettie J. Dubose

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A ready military force is essential for the safekeeping of the United States and the well-being of United States Armed Forces personnel. Today, healthcare professionals report disproportionately high rates of chronic disease and substance abuse among United States Armed Forces personnel and disabling mental health disorders that often go untreated. This quantitative research aimed to determine if there was a relationship between United States Armed Forces personnel using mindfulness meditation and their health status. The study used Bandura's social cognitive theory as its framework and theoretical foundation. Also, a quantitative experimental research design examined the causal relationships between the predictor, …

Perceived Factors Of Intimate Partner Violence On Women Diagnosed With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Angela M. Halcovich

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a prevalent diagnosis, and many human and social services professionals strive to understand its components, to ensure that they serve the population properly. However, little is known about how PTSD may influence women’s vulnerabilities to and future experiences of intimate partner violence (IPV). Emphasizing relationship coaching, which provides tools to foster healthy relationships, within the therapeutic curricula on rehabilitation for women with PTSD may result in reduced chances to experience IPV as women integrate back into their everyday life after being diagnosed and treated for PTSD. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to …

The Perceived Impact Of Childbirth Related Ptsd And Maternal Bonding, Sheila Baez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractChildbirth has been increasingly viewed as a potentially traumatic event and process impacting both mother and infant. Previous research on childbirth has concentrated on the development of postpartum depression and its impact; research on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after childbirth has been limited. However, the results of this research study suggested that the development of childbirth-related PTSD may be a far more common phenomenon than previously suggested. Bowlby’s attachment theory and Ainsworth’s further development and expansion of the theory served as a framework which investigated the experiences of 10 biological females, aged 21 and over previously diagnosed with PTSD after …

The Perceived Impact Of Childbirth Related Ptsd And Maternal Bonding, Sheila Baez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractChildbirth has been increasingly viewed as a potentially traumatic event and process impacting both mother and infant. Previous research on childbirth has concentrated on the development of postpartum depression and its impact; research on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after childbirth has been limited. However, the results of this research study suggested that the development of childbirth-related PTSD may be a far more common phenomenon than previously suggested. Bowlby’s attachment theory and Ainsworth’s further development and expansion of the theory served as a framework which investigated the experiences of 10 biological females, aged 21 and over previously diagnosed with PTSD after …

Perceived Factors Of Intimate Partner Violence On Women Diagnosed With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Angela M. Halcovich

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a prevalent diagnosis, and many human and social services professionals strive to understand its components, to ensure that they serve the population properly. However, little is known about how PTSD may influence women’s vulnerabilities to and future experiences of intimate partner violence (IPV). Emphasizing relationship coaching, which provides tools to foster healthy relationships, within the therapeutic curricula on rehabilitation for women with PTSD may result in reduced chances to experience IPV as women integrate back into their everyday life after being diagnosed and treated for PTSD. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to …

Prazosin Dosed 3 Times A Day To Treat Flashbacks Related To Ptsd: A Case Report, Christie Richardson, Alexander Swartz, Martin Forsberg

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

Prazosin is an alpha-1 adrenergic receptor antagonist widely known by mental health providers for its off-label use for nightmares in patients with PTSD. Prazosin is lipophilic and crosses the blood-brain barrier to antagonize alpha-1 receptors in the central nervous system, potentially reducing autonomic arousal caused by PTSD. There have been numerous case reports describing the reduction of nightmares and daytime flashbacks due to PTSD with prazosin dosed at night and during the day, respectively. This case report illustrates the resolution of flashbacks related to chronic PTSD with prazosin dosed 3 times a day. As the half-life of prazosin is only …

The Impact Of Service Dogs On Objective And Perceived Sleep Quality For Veterans With Ptsd, Madhuri Vempati, Elise A. Miller, Sarah C. Leighton, Leanne O. Nieforth, Marguerite O’Haire

Discovery Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Research Internship

One in four post-9/11 veterans (Fulton et al., 2015) have been diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), facing sleep disruptions as one of their most common symptoms. Service dogs have become an increasingly popular complementary intervention and anecdotes suggest they may impact sleep for veterans with PTSD. There is a need for empirical investigation into these claims through measurement and analysis of sleep quality.

The purpose of this study was to longitudinally investigate the impact of service dogs on sleep quality through both objective and subjective measures.

Participants in the treatment group (n=92) received a service dog after baseline, while …

Evaluation Of Hippocampal Allostatic Load-Associated Factors In Animal Models Of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Relevance To Human Ptsd, Dennis Parker Kelley

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with elevated allostatic load, nearly double the risk for metabolic syndrome, reduced hippocampal volume, and contextual memory processing deficits. Emerging evidence suggests that these stress effects may predispose individuals to the development of PTSD, and there is a known relationship between chronic stress and metabolic dysfunction. In this work, we utilized two rat models of PTSD to explore these connections. We used an acute predator odor stressor to investigate the relationship between PTSD-like behaviors and mitochondrial dysfunction in the hippocampus of rats, and we observed that conditioned place avoidance was associated with reduced mitochondrial …

History, Cognition And Nostromo: Conrad’S Explorations Of Torture, Trauma, And The Human Rage For Order, Richard Ruppel

English Faculty Articles and Research

Focusing on Joseph Conrad’s Nostromo, this essay historicizes the treatment of what we now call post-traumatic stress disorder, demonstrating how Conrad anticipated our current understanding and treatment of the illness. The second part of the essay addresses Nostromo’s treatment of historiography. Part three is concerned with epistemology and the relationship between neurological discoveries concerning the gap between perception and consciousness, relating those discoveries to Conrad’s use of delayed decoding.

The Future Of Criminal Culpability: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder's ("Ptsd") Effect On A Defendant's Actions And State Of Mind, Amin R. Yacoub, Becky Briggs

University of San Francisco Law Review

No abstract provided.