Post-traumatic stress disorder : a state-of-the-art review of evidence and challenges

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is arguably the most common psychiatric disorder to arise after exposure to a traumatic event. Since its formal introduction in the DSM-III in 1980, knowledge has grown significantly regarding its causes, maintaining mechanisms and treatments. Despite this increased understanding, however, the actual definition of the disorder remains controversial.

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Internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder : systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective: To determine whether Internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy (i-CBT) is an effective treatment for those who meet diagnostic criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). 
Method: A systematic review was undertaken according to Cochrane Collaboration Guidelines. The primary outcome measures were reduction in PTSD symptoms and drop-out. Categorical outcomes were meta-analysed as risk ratios (RRs) and continuous outcomes as mean differences (MDs) or standardised mean differences (SMDs).

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Stronger Than My Ghosts : Narrative Exposure Therapy and Cognitive Recovery in Later Life

Background: To explore cognitive recovery during and after Narrative Exposure Therapy from the patient’s perspective, autobiographical material and interview responses were qualitatively
analyzed.

 

Method: Using a framework of cognitive development, patient-reported outcomes from four senior Dutch citizens (57–81 years of age) were examined. All participants reported multiple traumatic experiences, including adverse childhood experiences.

 

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Randomised controlled trial comparing narrative exposure therapy with present-centred therapy for older patients with post-traumatic stress disorder

Background: Evidence-based treatment and age-specific services are required to address the needs of trauma-affected older populations. Narrative exposure therapy (NET) may present an appropriate treatment approach for this population since it provides prolonged exposure in a lifespan perspective. As yet, however, no trial on this intervention has been conducted with older adults from Western Europe.

Aims: Examining the efficacy of NET in a sample of older adults.

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Barriers to mental health services at public health centers : Providers’ perspectives

Background and purpose: The disparity between the increasing prevalence of mental health (MH) illness and the availability of treatment in Indonesia remains high, despite the campaign to provide MH services at public health centers (PHCs) initiated by the government in 2014. This study explored barriers to MH service provision at PHCs in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia in order to identify priorities for service improvement. 

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Eating disorders and posttraumatic stress disorder

Purpose of review: Childhood maltreatment is associated with all types of eating disorders. We provide a systematic review of the recent literature on comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in patients with eating disorders, and focus on prevalence, relationship with symptom severity, operating mechanisms and treatment.

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MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for posttraumatic stress disorder : A promising novel approach to treatment

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatment guidelines have unequivocally designated psychotherapy as a first-line treatment, despite well-documented neurobiological alterations in this disorder [1]. Even with psychotherapy, PTSD often remains chronic and severe. There is urgency to discover novel compounds and new treatment strategies for PTSD.

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The Effectiveness of Cannabinoids in the Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): A Systematic Review

Objectives: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a potentially debilitating mental health problem. There has been a recent surge of interest regarding the use of cannabinoids in the treatment of PTSD. We therefore sought to systematically review and assess the quality of the clinical evidence of the effectiveness of cannabinoids for the treatment of PTSD.

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The oxytocinergic system in PTSD following traumatic childbirth : endogenous and exogenous oxytocin in the peripartum period

Birth experiences can be traumatic and may give rise to PTSD following childbirth (PTSD-FC). Peripartum neurobiological alterations in the oxytocinergic system are highly relevant for postpartum maternal behavioral and affective adaptions like bonding and lactation but are also implicated in the response to traumatic events. Animal models demonstrated that peripartum stress impairs beneficial maternal postpartum behavior. Early postpartum activation of the oxytocinergic system may, however, reverse these effects and thereby prevent adverse long-term consequences for both mother and infant.

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Traumatic loss : Mental health consequences and implications for treatment and prevention

Traumatic loss involves the loss of loved ones in the context of potentially traumatizing circumstances and is a commonly reported traumatic event. It may give rise to disturbed grief, called prolonged grief disorder (PGD) in ICD-11 and persistent complex bereavement disorder (PCBD) in DMS-5, combined with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. The recent inclusion of grief disorders in both DSM-5 and ICD-11 have spurred research on grief-related psychopathology. This special issue on traumatic loss includes 10 articles and two letters.

 

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