ARQ National Psychotrauma Centre

English

Cognitive therapy and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing for reducing psychopathology among disaster-bereaved individuals : study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background: Confrontation with a traumatic (e.g. disaster-related) loss is a risk factor for the

development of psychopathology, including symptoms of prolonged grief (PG), posttraumatic

stress (PTS), and depression. Although interventions have been developed for reducing

post-loss psychopathology, more research into the effectiveness of treatment is needed

to improve care for bereaved persons. Cognitive therapy (CT) and eye movement desensitization

and reprocessing (EMDR) have been shown to be effective in trauma-exposed

Traumatized refugees : identifying needs and facing challenges for mental health care

In the past few years the number of refugees worldwide has increased dramatically. Many of them were traumatized in their homelands due to violent conflict or persecution, as well as during their flight, and are confronted with ongoing stressors in the exile countries. In order to contribute to enhancing the clinical knowledge, this special issue of the European Journal of Psychotraumatology focuses on traumatized refugees.

Neural activity during the viewing of emotional pictures in veterans with pathological anger and aggression

Anger and aggression are common mental health problems after military deployment. Anger and aggression have been associated with abnormalities in subcortical and cortical levels of the brain and their connectivity.

Here, we tested brain activation during the processing of emotional stimuli in military veterans with and without anger and aggression problems.

Thirty military veterans with anger and aggression problems and 29 veterans without a psychiatric diagnosis (all males) participated in this study.

Aberrant brain response after auditory deviance in PTSD compared to trauma controls : An EEG study.

Part of the symptomatology of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are alterations in arousal and reactivity which could be related to a maladaptive increase in the automated sensory change detection system of the brain. In the current EEG study we investigated whether the brain’s response to a simple auditory sensory change was altered in patients with PTSD relative to trauma-exposed matched controls who did not develop the disorder.

Perceived support at work after critical incidents and its relation to psychological distress : a survey among prehospital providers.

INTRODUCTION:

Prehospital providers are at increased risk for psychological distress. Support at work after critical incidents is believed to be important for providers, but current guidelines are in need of more scientific evidence. This study aimed to investigate: (1) to what extent prehospital providers experience support at work; (2) whether support at work is directly associated with lower distress and (3) whether availability of a formal peer support system is related to lower distress via perceived colleague support.

 

Intranasal oxytocin : miracle cure after trauma?

Background: In popular media and on Internet, the neuropeptide oxytocin is often advertised as a miracle drug that cures all

types of disorders, reduces stress, saves marriages, all conveniently with a nasal spray. Here we will present the effects of intranasal

oxytocin on brain function in recently traumatized individuals and patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and

discuss clinical implications and further research. PTSD is characterized by exaggerated fear responses to threat and traumarelated

Plasma lipoproteins in posttraumatic stress disorder patients compared to healthy controls and their associations with the HPA- and HPT-axis

Abstract

Background

Based on studies among primarily male veteran subjects, lipoproteins are thought to mediate the association of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, recent civilian studies with female samples or samples with both sexes represented provide little evidence for this association. Gender, diet and sex-specific effects of stress hormones on lipoproteins may explain this dissociation in findings.

Do prolonged grief disorder symptoms predict post-traumatic stress symptoms following bereavement? : A cross-lagged analysis

Background: Bereavement can precipitate different forms of psychopathology, including prolonged grief disorder (PGD) and posttraumatic

stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. How these symptoms influence each other is unclear. The aim of this study was to examine the temporal

relationship of symptoms of PGD and PTSD following bereavement.

Methods: We included 204 individuals, confronted with the loss of a loved one within the past year, who completed self-report measures of

Psychotraumatology in Greece

Psychological trauma is very common, understudied and consequently undertreated in Greece and many other countries. The word trauma comes from the Greek trauma (τραύμα) meaning trauma wound, alteration of trōma; akin to Greek titrōskein = to wound, tetrainein = to pierce. Although there is no data available on the prevalence rates of trauma or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in Greece, there is no reason to believe that various types of traumatic experiences are not common phenomena in Greek society.

Prolonged grief and posttraumatic stress in bereaved children : A latent class analysis

Few studies have yet examined subgroups among children (aged 8–18) confronted with the death of a close loved one, characterized by different profiles of symptoms of prolonged grief disorder (PGD) and symptoms of bereavement-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study sought to identify such subgroups and socio-demographic and loss-related variables associated with subgroup membership.

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