Post-traumatic stress disorder in older adults : a systematic review of the psychotherapy treatment literature.

OBJECTIVES:
Older adults represent the fastest growing segment of the US and industrialized populations. However, older adults have generally not been included in randomized clinical trials of psychotherapy for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This review examined reports of psychological treatment for trauma-related problems, primarily PTSD, in studies with samples of at least 50% adults aged 55 and older using standardized measures.
METHODS:

Difficult to treat? : A comparison of the effectiveness of treatment as usual in refugees and non-refugees

Aims and method To examine treatment response in traumatised refugees, we compared routine outcome monitoring data (Harvard Trauma Questionnaire) of two refugee populations with those of individuals experiencing profession-related trauma who were treated at a specialised psychotrauma institute.

Longitudinal assessment of gender differences in the development of PTSD among US military personnel deployed in support of the operations in Iraq and Afghanistan

Divergent findings from previous research examining gender differences in the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among US military members deployed to the operations in Iraq or Afghanistan (recent operations) prompted this study utilizing a matching approach to examine whether risk for new-onset PTSD and PTSD severity scores differed by gender. US military members from the Millennium Cohort Study deployed in support of the recent operations were followed for approximately 7 years from baseline through 2 follow-up periods between 2001 and 2008.

An Integrated Model of Posttraumatic Stress and Growth

A number of recent models have examined cognitive predictors of posttraumatic stress and posttraumatic growth (S. Barton, A. Boals, & L. Knowles, 2013; J. Groleau, L. Calhoun, A. Cann, & G. Tedeschi, 2013; K. N. Triplett, R. G. Tedeschi, A. Cann, L. G. Calhoun, & C. L. Reeve, 2012). The current study examined an integrated model of predictors of distress and perceived growth in 194 college undergraduates. Domains covered included the roles of core belief challenge, event centrality, posttrauma cognitions, and event-related rumination.

Association of Childhood Complex Trauma and Dissociation With Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms in Adulthood

This study replicates and extends prior research on the relationship of childhood complex trauma (CCT) and complex posttraumatic stress disorder (cPTSD) in adulthood, examining the role of psychoform and somatoform dissociation as a potential mediator. CCT, dissociation, and cPTSD were assessed in a large sample of adult psychiatric inpatients. Almost two thirds of participants reported having experienced CCT. Path analyses with bootstrap confidence intervals demonstrated a relationship between CCT, psychoform (but not somatoform) dissociation, and cPTSD.

Psychological and social theories of PTSD

Psychological theories have been developed to explain why certain trauma survivors go to develop PTSD and others not. These theories try to capture what happens at the level of the trauma survivor's personal experiences, in terms of thoughts , memory, emotions, behaviours and underlying processes of which the person is unaware.

Music therapy as an adjunct to standard treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder and co-morbid anxiety and depression: A randomized clinical trial

Abstract
Background
Previous studies have highlighted the potential therapeutic benefits of music therapy as an adjunct to standard care, in a variety of psychiatric ailments including mood and anxiety disorders. However, the role of music in the treatment of obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) have not been investigated to date.
Methods

A Randomized Clinical Trial of Group Cognitive Processing Therapy Compared With Group Present-Centered Therapy for PTSD Among Active Duty Military Personnel

Objective: To determine whether group therapy improves symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), this randomized clinical trial compared efficacy of group cognitive processing therapy cognitive only version; CPT-C) with group present-centered therapy (PCT) for active duty military personnel. Method: Patients attended 90-min groups twice weekly for 6 weeks at Fort Hood, Texas. Independent assessments were administered at baseline, weekly before sessions, and 2 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months posttreatment. A total of 108 service members (100 men, 8 women) were randomized.

Assessing the Family Dynamics of Childhood Maltreatment History with the Childhood Attachment and Relational Trauma Screen (CARTS)

Background: Existing survey measures of childhood trauma history generally fail to take into account the relational-socioecological environment in which childhood maltreatment occurs. Variables such as the relationship between the perpetrator and the victim, the emotional availability of caregivers, witnessing the abuse of others, and the respondent’s own thoughts, feelings, and actions in response to maltreatment are rarely assessed by current measures.

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