ARQ National Psychotrauma Centre

Exposure to potentially morally injurious events (PMIEs) during military deployment is common and may lead to long-lasting negative psychological consequences, referred to as moral injury. Few studies investigated long-term outcomes following exposure to PMIEs.

Background: A proportion of Dutch World War Two (WWII) survivor offspring reports intrusions about a war they have not experienced themselves. Knowledge about the content of these intrusions may provide an in-depth understanding of the themes impacting the mental health of offspring and the intergenerational consequences of parental traumatic WWII events. Therefore, this study used a qualitative approach to examine the core themes of indirect intrusions reported by survivor offspring.

During peacekeeping missions, military personnel may be exposed to potentially morally injurious events (PMIEs). Little is known about how these PMIEs and their impact are experienced by peacekeepers themselves. In 1995, the Dutchbat III peacekeeping mission in Srebrenica, Bosnia, was unable to prevent mass ethnic violence and genocide. This study of military veterans of the Dutchbat III mission focused on the question of how they perceived their mission, the societal response to the mission, and its impact 25 years after its completion.

Introduction: Current guidelines recommend trauma-focused therapies for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Unfortunately, the percentage of non-response and dropout with these forms of therapy has proven to be substantial. Trauma-focused therapies offered in a highly intensive format have been found to lead to higher adherence and faster symptom reduction, but no studies so far have investigated Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) in an intensive programme.

Background: Prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in refugees is higher compared to the general population, and barriers in accessing mental health care are often experienced. With staggering numbers of people seeking refuge around the world, and 40% being 18 years or younger, effective trauma-focused therapies for refugee children with PTSD are highly needed.

Introduction: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a serious disorder that burdens individuals and society. The current standard of first-line treatment for PTSD is spaced trauma-focused treatment (S-TFT), involving weekly sessions. While effective, S-TFT may take relatively long to complete, especially in patients exposed to multiple potentially traumatic events (PTEs).

Prolonged grief disorder is a mental health disorder recently included in diagnostic manuals worldwide. This Review presents published research evidence in strong support for the current conceptualisation of prolonged grief disorder:
a diagnosable mental health condition with core symptoms of yearning, preoccupation, or both, which is associated with symptoms of emotional pain, identity disturbances, loss of meaning and purpose, and functional impairment.

Background: Bereavement following death, with loneliness as a prominent feature, can result in enduring stress and compromised health.
 

Background Over 6 million people have fled their homes in response to the full-scale invasion of Russian armed forces into Ukraine and are forcibly displaced since the start on 4 February 2022. Refugees, both adults and children, have a high risk of developing mental health disorders, in particular post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety disorders. Research into the mental health of Ukrainian families and their needs is urgently needed.

Trauma is a global issue and public health concern. Political decisions may directly impact rates of trauma exposure, be it individual trauma or mass disaster, and guide how we deal with the consequences of trauma. In this editorial, we warn that the current U.S. administration’s decisions are impacting exposure to and consequences of trauma worldwide as well as disrupting the field of traumatic stress in research and practice.