How young refugees’ traumatic pasts shape their mental health

A detailed study shows that young migrants’ risk of developing psychiatric disorders rises stepwise with the number of traumas experienced.

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Prolonged grief disorder following the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Highlights

 

• Prolonged grief disorder (PGD) cases will rise following the COVID-19 pandemic

• The pandemic shows similarities to natural disasters which increase PGD prevalence.

• The circumstances of death during the pandemic likely increase PGD prevalence.

• Evidence-based interventions for PGD should be made more accessible.

• Internet-based interventions for PGD should be further developed and disseminated.

 

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Feasibility and predictors of change of narrative exposure therapy for displaced populations : a repeated measures design

Background: Displaced victims of interpersonal violence, such as refugees, asylum seekers, and victims of sexual exploitation, are growing in numbers and are often suffering from a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). At the same time, these victims are known to benefit less from trauma-focused therapy (TFT) and to be less compliant to treatment. The objective of this paper is to describe the rationale and research protocol of an ongoing trial that aims to evaluate different variables that might influence the feasibility of TFT for the study population.

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The COVID-19 pandemic : The ‘black swan’ for mental health care and a turning point for e-health

In February 2020, Duan and Zhu (2020) stressed the need for a solid Chinese evidence-based mental health care system in times of public health emergencies such as the outbreak of the Coronavirus disease- 2019 (COVID-19). That would enable treatment of people who suffer from mental health problems in relation to the epidemic. The WHO has meanwhile labelled the Coronavirus a pandemic, and it is now hitting Europe, the USA, Australia and Asia hard as well.

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Specific traumatic events elevate the risk of a suicide attempt in a 10-year longitudinal community study on adolescents and young adults

Traumatic events (TEs) have been associated with suicide attempts (SAs). However, the empirical status of some TEs is inconclusive. This also concerns community adolescents and young adults, known to be a high-risk group for SAs. We examined associations between (a) a range of prior TEs (physical attack, rape/sexual abuse, serious accident, and witnessing somebody else experiencing a TE) and a subsequent SA, and (b) the number of prior TEs and an SA, and (c) we estimated attributable proportions of SAs, in relation to each TE.

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One-year clinical outcomes following theta burst stimulation for post-traumatic stress disorder

Theta burst transcranial magnetic stimulation (TBS) is a potential new treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We previously reported active intermittent TBS (iTBS) was associated with superior clinical outcomes for up to 1-month, in a sample of fifty veterans with PTSD, using a crossover design. In that study, participants randomized to the active group received a total of 4-weeks of active iTBS, or 2-weeks if randomized to sham. Results were superior with greater exposure to active iTBS, which raised the question of whether observed effects persisted over the longer-term.

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Social disadvantage, linguistic distance, ethnic minority status and first-episode psychosis : results from the EU-GEI case–control study

Background
Ethnic minority groups in Western countries face an increased risk of psychotic disorders. Causes of this long-standing public health inequality remain poorly understood. We investigated whether social disadvantage, linguistic distance and discrimination contributed to these patterns.

Methods

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Associations between moral injury, PTSD clusters, and depression among Israeli veterans : a network approach

Background: Moral Injury (MI) is one of the adverse consequences of combat. Following exposure to potentially morally injurious events (PMIEs)––events perceived as violations of deep moral beliefs by oneself or trusted individuals––a significant minority of veterans could develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression.

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Trauma reactivation under propranolol among traumatized Syrian refugee children : preliminary evidence regarding efficacy

Background: There is a dearth of therapeutic solutions for traumatized young patients. Trauma reactivation conducted under the influence of the reconsolidation blocker propranolol (Reconsolidation Therapy) is a simple, cost-effective treatment option that has some promising initial results in adults suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

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Structural brain changes with lifetime trauma and re-experiencing symptoms is 5-HTTLPR genotype-dependent

Background: Findings on structural brain alterations following trauma are inconsistent due probably to heterogeneity in imaging studies and population, clinical presentations, genetic vulnerability, and selection of controls. This study examines whether trauma and re-experiencing symptoms are associated with specific alterations in grey matter volumes and if this varies according to 5-HTTLPR genotype.

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