A framework of meaning attribution following loss

The loss of a loved one causes the world and the place of the bereaved survivor in it to change irreversibly. A key aspect of the grieving process is the integration of the loss in the bereaved survivor’s life story, identity change, and a new future orientation through meaning attribution. Meaning attribution can have favourable or unfavourable effects on the grieving process and hence determines the extent to which a loss disrupts the bereaved survivor’s functioning.

 

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Development and psychometric evaluation of the Transdiagnostic Decision Tool : matched care for patients with a mental disorder in need of highly specialised care

Background
Early identification of patients with mental health problems in need of highly specialised care could enhance the timely provision of appropriate care and improve the clinical and cost-effectiveness of treatment strategies. Recent research on the development and psychometric evaluation of diagnosis-specific decision-support algorithms suggested that the treatment allocation of patients to highly specialised mental healthcare settings may be guided by a core set of transdiagnostic patient factors.

 

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Homicide as a Source of Posttraumatic Stress? : A Meta-Analysis of the Prevalence of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder After Committing Homicide

There is a growing body of literature on the diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after committing homicide that has examined the prevalence of this phenomenon among individuals who have been convicted, but these studies considerably vary. The present study was the first meta-analysis to synthesize scientific evidence regarding the prevalence of offense-related PTSD among convicted killers. A total of 691 articles were identified through an initial screening process, and the final analysis included 11 studies that met the analysis criteria.

 

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Exclusion of Suicidal Participants From Randomized Controlled Trials for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder : A Meta‐Analysis

There has been a lack of consensus regarding whether to include or exclude participants with suicidal ideation (SI) from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) psychotherapy clinical trials and, until recently, how best to report adverse events related to suicide risk. Without consistent reporting or evaluation of SI as an outcome, clinical practice guidelines are limited in their ability to recommend interventions for this common co‐occurrence. In the present meta‐analysis, we compared randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of PTSD psychotherapies, based on their suicide exclusion criteria.

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People of color in North America report improvements in racial trauma and mental health symptoms following psychedelic experiences

This study examined how psychedelics reduced symptoms of racial trauma among black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) subsequent to an experience of racism. A cross-sectional internet-based survey included questions about experiences with racism, mental health symptoms, and acute and enduring psychedelic effects. Changes in mental health were assessed by retrospective report of symptoms in the 30 days before and 30 days after an experience with psilocybin, Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), or 3,4- Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA).

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The long-term course of anxiety disorders : An epidemiological perspective

Anxiety disorders are very common and impose a considerable burden for patients, relatives, and society. There are several anxiety disorders, all of which are known for their often persistent course. Nevertheless, there is a lack of knowledge about its longitudinal course trajectories, which hampers prevention strategies and adjustment of treatments according to prognosis. The aim of this thesis was to get more insight into the longitudinal multi-year naturalistic course of anxiety disorders and to identify the factors that are associated with this course.

 

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Molecular genetic overlap between posttraumatic stress disorder and sleep phenotypes

Study Objectives: Sleep problems are common, serving as both a predictor and symptom of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with these bidirectional relationships well established in the literature. While both sleep phenotypes and PTSD are moderately heritable, there has been a paucity of investigation into potential genetic overlap between sleep and PTSD.

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Predicting future risk of PTSD

Data routinely collected in the emergency department after trauma have the potential to predict those at risk of later PTSD, which shows promise for computational psychiatry.

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Clustering of suicides in children and adolescents

Suicide is one of the major causes of death in young people, in whom suicide can occur in clusters. In this Review, we have investigated definitions and epidemiology of such clusters, the factors associated with them, mechanisms by which they occur, and means of intervening and preventing them. Clustering of suicidal behaviour is more common in young people (<25 years) than adults. Suicide clusters can occur as a greater number of episodes than expected at a specific location, including in institutions (eg, schools, universities, psychiatric units, and youth offender units). 

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Epigenome-wide meta-analysis of PTSD across 10 military and civilian cohorts identifies methylation changes in AHRR

Epigenetic differences may help to distinguish between PTSD cases and trauma-exposed controls. Here, we describe the results of the largest DNA methylation meta-analysis of PTSD to date. Ten cohorts, military and civilian, contribute blood-derived DNA methylation data from 1,896 PTSD cases and trauma-exposed controls. Four CpG sites within the arylhydrocarbon receptor repressor (AHRR) associate with PTSD after adjustment for multiple comparisons, with lower DNA methylation in PTSD cases relative to controls.

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