COVID-19-related distress is associated with analogue PTSD symptoms after exposure to an analogue stressor

Background: The COVID-19 outbreak in early 2020 was associated with an immediate increase in mental health problems in a significant percentage of the general population. Therefore, it is crucial to investigate how the COVID-19 pandemic – as a psychosocial stressor – affected the aetiological processes of mental disorders. Previous research has shown that stress potentiates associative (fear) learning and analogue symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and that analogue PTSD symptoms can emerge in response to associative learning.

 

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“Doing What Matters in Times of Stress” to Decrease Psychological Distress During COVID-19 : A Randomised Controlled Pilot Trial

Despite the increasing psychological distress during COVID-19, utilisation of face-to-face psychological interventions decreased profoundly. The aim of this study involving two parallel, two-armed pilot randomised controlled trials was to examine the effectiveness of a guided self-help intervention “Doing What Matters in Times of Stress” (DWM) in decreasing psychological distress in Turkish and Syrian participants. Seventy-four Turkish nationals and 50 Syrian refugee adults with psychological distress were randomly allocated to a DWM group or wait-list control group.

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The impact of a terrorist attack : Survivors’ health, functioning and need for support following the 2019 Utrecht tram shooting 6 and 18 months post-attack

Background: Extremely violent events such as terrorist attacks and mass shootings form a severe risk for the health and wellbeing of affected individuals. In this study based on a public health monitor, we focus on the health impact (including PTSD symptoms, physical problems and day-to-day functioning) of the Utrecht tram shooting, which took place in the morning of March 18th 2019. A lone gunman opened fire on passengers within a moving tram. Four people died, and six people were injured in this attack.

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The mediating role of state anger in the associations between intentions to participate in the criminal trial and psychopathology in traumatically bereaved people

Victims of crimes have been granted increasing procedural rights to participate in the juridical process since the mid 1990s. However, knowledge about the (anti)-therapeutic effect of participation is limited. We examined the associations between symptom levels of persistent complex bereavement disorder (PCBD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and depression and the intention to participate in a criminal trial. Furthermore, we investigated the mediating role of state anger in these associations.

 

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A longitudinal investigation of psychological distress in children during COVID-19 : the role of socio-emotional vulnerability

Background: Although the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the incidence of distress in youth, some children show increased resilience, emphasizing the need to better understand the predictors of distress in youth.

 

Objective: This longitudinal study aimed to assess the combined impact of known socio-emotional predictors of stress-related psychopathology, namely anxiety sensitivity, anxiety trait, intolerance to uncertainty, and rumination, on COVID-related distress in healthy youth.

 

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The COVID-19 pandemic as a traumatic event and the associated psychological impact on families – A systematic review

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic and its accompanying containment measures can be conceptualized as traumatic events. This review systematically investigates trauma-related symptoms in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic and the association of the pandemic and its containment measures with trauma-related disorders or symptoms.

 

 

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Prevalence, Predictors, and Experience of Moral Suffering in Nursing and Care Home Staff during the COVID-19 Pandemic : A Mixed-Methods Systematic Review

Background: Nursing and care home staff experienced high death rates of older residents and increased occupational and psychosocial pressures during the COVID-19 pandemic. The literature has previously found this group to be at risk of developing mental health conditions, moral injury (MI), and moral distress (MD). The latter two terms refer to the perceived ethical wrongdoing which contravenes an individual’s moral beliefs and elicits adverse emotional responses. (2)

 

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Shared sources and mechanisms of healthcare worker distress in COVID-19 : a comparative qualitative study in Canada and the UK

Background: COVID-19 has had a significant impact on the wellbeing of healthcare workers, with quantitative studies identifying increased stress, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and PTSD in a wide range of settings. Limited qualitative data so far has offered in-depth details concerning what underlies these challenges, but none provide comprehensive comparison across different healthcare systems.

 

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Facilitating the transition home after military deployment : a systematic literature review of post-deployment adaptation programmes

Background: Many countries pay special attention to the transition of their military personnel from deployment to home via post-deployment adaptation programmes (PDAPs).

 

Objective: This systematic review aims to provide a structured analysis of structure, process, and outcomes based on available empirical evidence for PDAPs.

 

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Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on suicidal attempts and death rates : a systematic review

Background
The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the risk factors associated with suicidal behavior and thus, prioritizing its prevention is recommended.

 

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