Reducing intrusive memories after trauma via an imagery-competing task intervention in COVID-19 intensive care staff : a randomised controlled trial

Intrusive memories (IMs) after traumatic events can be distressing and disrupt mental health and functioning. We evaluated the impact of a brief remotely-delivered digital imagery-competing task intervention on the number of IMs for intensive care unit (ICU) staff who faced repeated trauma exposure during the COVID-19 pandemic using a two-arm, parallel-group, single-blind randomised controlled trial, with the comparator arm receiving delayed access to active treatment (crossover).

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A narrative systematic review of changes in mental health symptoms from before to during the COVID-19 pandemic

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic raised concerns regarding population-wide impacts on mental health. Existing work on the psychological impacts of disaster has identified the potential for multiple response trajectories, with resilience as likely as the development of chronic psychopathology. Early reviews of mental health during the pandemic suggested elevated prevalence rates of multiple forms of psychopathology, but were limited by largely cross-sectional approaches.

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Predictors of traumatic experiences among individuals experiencing pandemic-related stressors : a cross-sectional study in Europe during the COVID-19 crisis

The COVID-19 pandemic is a manifestation of trauma exposure that could eventuate in psychological distress, anxiety, depression, and various mental health disturbances, especially in people who have experienced an additional stressor such as a traumatic event. This cross-sectional study assessed the relationship between pandemic-related stressors, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the risk for severe or life-threatening symptoms, and resilience among individuals with a traumatic history amidst the coronavirus disease.

 

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Associations between trauma and substance use among healthcare workers and public safety personnel during the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic : the mediating roles of dissociation and emotion dysregulation

Background: Given the highly stressful environment surrounding the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, healthcare workers (HCW) and public safety personnel (PSP) are at an elevated risk for adverse psychological outcomes, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol/substance use problems. As such, the study aimed to identify associations between PTSD severity, related dissociation and emotion dysregulation symptoms, and alcohol/substance use problems among HCWs and PSP.

 

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Relationship between physical activity and individual mental health after traumatic events : a systematic review

Background: Traumatic events can cause social tension, anxiety, panic and other psychological crises, and can even cause post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and suicide. Physical activity has a good role in promoting mental health, and has a great application prospect in individual psychological intervention after traumatic events.

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DSM-5-TR prolonged grief disorder levels after natural, COVID-19, and unnatural loss during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background and objectives: A rise in prolonged grief disorder (PGD) levels was expected due to COVID-19 deaths. We tested this assumption, by comparing PGD-severity among people who experienced a death of a loved one during the pandemic caused by a natural (e.g., illness), COVID-19, or unnatural (e.g., accidents, suicides, homicides) loss on average 8 months earlier and in a subgroup of people bereaved ≥12 months earlier.

 

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Cumulative stressful events and mental health in young adults after 10 years of Wenchuan earthquake : the role of social support

Background: After a natural disaster, stressful events often continue to accumulate, affecting individuals in a different manner than the original disaster never occurred. However, few studies have examined these associations, the cumulative impacts of stressful events on mental health outcomes, and the role of social support. This study examined the prospective association between cumulative stressful events and mental health problems and the role of social support in young adults.

 

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Effectiveness of a mental health stepped-care programme for healthcare workers with psychological distress in crisis settings : a multicentre randomised controlled tria

Background: Evidence-based mental health interventions to support healthcare workers (HCWs) in crisis settings are scarce.

 

Objective: To evaluate the capacity of a mental health intervention in reducing anxiety and depression symptoms in HCWs, relative to enhanced care as usual (eCAU), amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

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Health trajectories of international humanitarian aid workers : growth mixture modelling findings from a prospective cohort study

Background
Most staff stay healthy during humanitarian work, although some worsen. Mean scores on health indicators may be masking individual participants struggling with health issues.

 

Aims

To investigate different field assignment-related health trajectories among international humanitarian aid workers (iHAWs) and explore the mechanisms used to stay healthy.

 

Method

Growth mixture modelling analyses for five health indicators using pre-/post-assignment and follow-up data.

 

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The mental health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and exposure to other potentially traumatic events up to old age

We investigated whether the impact of potentially traumatic events (PTEs) on trauma-related symptoms changes across the transitional adult lifespan (i.e., 16–100 years old) and if this association differs for self-reported COVID-19–related PTEs compared to other PTEs. A web-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 7,034 participants from 88 countries between late April and October 2020. Participants completed the Global Psychotrauma Screen (GPS), a self-report questionnaire assessing trauma-related symptoms.

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