Confrontations with aggression and mental health problems in police officers: The role of organizational stressors, life-events and previous mental health problems

The extent to which the frequency of facing aggression incidents is associated with mental health problems among police officers when organizational stressors, life-events, and previous mental health problems are taken into account is unclear. To elucidate this data from a longitudinal study of police officers was analyzed (N = 473). Mental health problems (MHPs) are here defined as severe anxiety, depression, hostility, burnout symptoms, and/or sleeping problems according the SCL-90–R and MBI. All MHPs were assessed at baseline and 27 months later.

Read more

Consistency of diagnostic thresholds in DSM-V

OBJECTIVE: DSM-IV diagnostic criteria define thresholds on a continuum of symptoms above which the diagnosis is said to be established. Data from the 1997 Australian Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing were used for six internalizing disorders, and the levels of distress and disability associated with each diagnosis were investigated. METHOD: Mean distress (measured by the K-10) and disability (measured by the SF12-MCS) scores were identified for people in the Survey who reported no physical or mental disorders.

Read more

Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in men with serious mental illness: a reconceptionalization

This paper proposes a reconceptualization of serious mental illness (SMI) utilizing the concept of Complex-Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD). While the effects of trauma in men have recently received increased attention, the impact of chronic exposure to interpersonal trauma during childhood remains under assessed and under recognized. This holds true particularly for men diagnosed with SMI.

Read more

Cognitive-affective characteristics of smokers with and without posttraumatic stress disorder and panic psychopathology

The present study evaluated differences among daily smokers with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), panic disorder (PD), panic attacks (PA), and no axis I psychopathology (past 6 months) in terms of several cognitive-affective variables implicated in both the onset and maintenance of anxiety psychopathology and cigarette smoking. The sample consisted of 123 daily smokers (62% women: M(age)=29.7, SD=11.9).

Read more

Chronische Alltagsbelastungen und frühe Traumatisierung: auswirkungen auf die aktuelle PTSD Symptomatik = Chronic stress and early trauma experiences: the impact on PTSD symptoms

Eine Vielzahl von Faktoren beeinflusst die Symptomstärke einer Posttraumatischen Belastungsstörung (PTBS). Die meisten Studien untersuchten allerdings Variabeln, die in engem Zusammenhang mit der Traumatisierung stehen, wie z. B. die subjektive Reaktion auf ein Trauma und akute Symptome, aber auch prä-traumatische Risikofaktoren. Der Einfluss von akutem Stress und Alltagsbelastungen fand jedoch weit weniger Beachtung. Dementsprechend soll in dieser Studie untersucht werden, inwieweit auch aktuelle, nicht traumatische Stressbelastungen die Ausprägung von PTBS-Symptomen beeinflussen.

Read more

Characterizing aggression and its association to anger and hostility among male veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

OBJECTIVES: The basis for the associations among anger, hostility, aggressive behavior, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) remains unclear. We suggest classifying aggressive behavior may elucidate the associations among these factors. On the basis of diagnostic and neurobiological similarities between impulsive aggression (IA) and PTSD, we proposed that IA was the predominant form of aggression in PTSD and that anger and hostility would not significantly predict PTSD when IA was also included as a predictor.

Read more

Child soldiers : Sierra Leone's Revolutionary United Front

Tragically, violence and armed conflict have become commonplace in the lives of many children around the world. Not only have millions of children been forced to witness war and its atrocities, but many are drawn into conflict as active participants. Nowhere has this been more evident than in Sierra Leone during its 11-year civil war. Drawing upon in-depth interviews and focus groups with former child soldiers of Sierra Leone’s rebel Revolutionary United Front, Myriam Denov compassionately examines how child soldiers are initiated into the complex world of violence and armed conflict.

Read more

Childhood adversities as risk factors for onset and persistence of suicidal behaviour

BACKGROUND: Suicide is a leading cause of death worldwide, but the precise effect of childhood adversities as risk factors for the onset and persistence of suicidal behaviour (suicide ideation, plans and attempts) are not well understood. AIMS: To examine the associations between childhood adversities as risk factors for the onset and persistence of suicidal behaviour across 21 countries worldwide.

Read more

Childhood life events and childhood trauma in adult patients with depressive, anxiety and comorbid disorders vs. controls

Objective: To investigate the association between childhood life events, childhood trauma and the presence of anxiety, depressive or comorbid anxiety and depressive disorders in adulthood. Method: Data are from 1931 adult participants in the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA). Childhood life events included divorce of parents, early parental loss and 'placed in care', whereas childhood trauma was assessed as experienced emotional neglect, psychological, physical and sexual abuse prior to age 16.

Read more

Can Asylum-Seekers with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Be Successfully Treated? A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study

Rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are exceptionally high among asylum-seekers. Reportedly, stressors caused by the asylum procedure and psychological consequences of torture contribute to the maintenance of symptoms and interfere with treatment. In a pilot randomized controlled trial, the authors examined the efficacy of trauma-focused treatment in 32 asylum-seekers with PTSD resulting from state-sponsored violence and other traumatic events. Narrative exposure therapy (NET) was compared with treatment as usual (TAU), with a focus on stabilization and psychoactive medication.

Read more

Pages