A vulnerability paradox in the cross-national prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder

Background
Determinants of cross-national differences in the prevalence of mental illness are poorly understood.
Aims
To test whether national post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) rates can be explained by (a) rates of exposure to trauma and (b) countries' overall cultural and socioeconomic vulnerability to adversity.
Method

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Neglected Trauma : Asylum seekers in Italy: an analysis of mental health distress and access to healthcare

The many humanitarian crises of recent years, the persistence of conditions of war and the systematic violation of human rights in many countries have forced millions of people to flee, undertaking journeys that are often very dangerous. According to data from the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), there are now 65,3 million of people who left their home in the world. Recent evidence shows an increased risk of mental disorders among forced migrants and asylum seekers.

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Blurring emotional memories using eye movements : individual differences and speed of eye movements

Background: In eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), patients make eye movements (EM) while recalling traumatic memories. Making EM taxes working memory (WM), which leaves less resources available for imagery of the memory. This reduces memory vividness and emotionality during future recalls. WM theory predicts that individuals with small working memory capacities (WMCs) benefit more from low levels of taxing (i.e., slow EM) whereas individuals with large WMC benefit more from high levels of taxing (i.e., fast EM).

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Posttraumatic Stress Disorder after Vaginal Delivery at Primiparous Women

Although severe gynaecological pathology during delivery and negative outcome have been shown to be related with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) little is known about traumatic experiences following regular delivery, at the expected time and with a healthy child. The objective of our study was to determine the prevalence of PTSD during postpartum period after vaginal delivery and its risk factors.

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Erasing memory traces of trauma with eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy

With its open access character, the European Journal of Psychotraumatology aims to promote evidence-based treatments around the world, while at the same time welcoming new forms of treatment without losing its critical scientific eye. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR) is by now a well-established treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

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Probing Psychological and Biological Responses to Stress

European Journal of Psychotraumatology Editor-in-Chief Miranda Olff talks PTSD, her role as the newly-appointed president of the International Society of Traumatic Stress Studies and “her most compelling project to date.”
Just a few years ago, little, if anything, was known of trauma’s link to the incredibly complicated and subtle hormone oxytocin.

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The impact of cultural differences in self-representation on the neural substrates of posttraumatic stress disorder

A significant body of literature documents the neural mechanisms involved in the development and maintenance of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, there is very little empirical work considering the influence of culture on these underlying mechanisms.

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Dissociative symptoms are associated with reduced neuropsychological performance in patients with recurrent depression and a history of trauma exposure

Background: Although preliminary work suggests that dissociative symptoms may impact neuropsychological performance in trauma-exposed populations, the relation between dissociation and cognitive performance has not been explored in patients with depression.
Objective: The present study examined dissociative symptoms in relation to neuropsychological performance in participants with a primary diagnosis of recurrent major depressive disorder (MDD) and a history of trauma exposure.

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The relationship between posttraumatic stress symptoms and narrative structure among adolescent terrorist-attack survivors

Background: The structure of trauma narratives is considered to be related to posttraumatic stress symptomatology and thus the capacity to make a coherent narrative after stressful events is crucial for mental health.

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Prevalence and predictors of Axis I disorders in a large sample of treatment-seeking victims of sexual abuse and incest

Background: Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is a common occurrence and a robust, yet non-specific, predictor of adult psychopathology. While many demographic and abuse factors have been shown to impact this relationship, their common and specific effects remain poorly understood.
Objective: This study sought to assess the prevalence of Axis I disorders in a large sample of help-seeking victims of sexual trauma, and to examine the common and specific effects of demographic and abuse characteristics across these different diagnoses.

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