Validation of the new DSM-5-TR criteria for prolonged grief disorder and the PG-13-Revised (PG-13-R) scale

Although the concept of pathological grief dates back at least as far as Freud’s “Mourning and Melancholia”, there has been opposition to its recognition as a distinct mental disorder. Resistance has been overcome by evidence demonstrating that distinctive symptoms of prolonged grief disorder (PGD) – an attachment disturbance featuring yearning for the deceased, loss of meaning and identity disruption – can endure, prove distressing and disabling, and require targeted treatment.

Ritual in Therapy for Prolonged Grief : A Scoping Review of Ritual Elements in Evidence-Informed Grief Interventions

The aim of this article of to analyze ritual in evidence-informed treatments for prolonged and traumatic grief. A scoping review is conducted in order to give an overview of existing literature on ritual and symbolic interventions in grief therapies for prolonged grief and the type of evidence supporting these interventions. The 22 studies reported in this review reveal a variety of ritual elements ranging from symbolic expression and interaction, writing assignments, dialogue with the deceased or an imaginary person, to farewell ceremonies at the end of the treatment.

Post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms in COVID-19 survivors : online population survey

This study examined post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in 13 049 survivors of suspected or confirmed COVID-19, from the UK general population, as a function of severity and hospital admission status.

COVID-19, Moral Injury and the Bhagvad Gita

During life challenging times like the present COVID-19 pandemic, the health care worker (HCW) is faced with a number of questions of an existential nature. There is a sense of guilt, anguish, helplessness, uncertainty and powerlessness when one is fighting something on such a powerful scale with limited resources and no definite end in sight. There are circumstances when these feelings can overwhelm a person leading to demoralization and potentially a moral injury.

Human Health Risks of Conducted Electrical Weapon Exposure : A Systematic Review

IMPORTANCE Conducted electrical weapons (CEWs) are used broadly as a less-lethal force option for police officers. However, there is no clear picture of the possible health risks in humans on the basis of rigorously assessed scientific evidence from the international peer-reviewed literature.

 

OBJECTIVE To synthesize and systematically evaluate the strength of published evidence for an association between exposure to different models of CEWs and adverse acute as well as chronic conditions.
 

 

Addressing vulnerabilities in communities facing infectious disease threats : A need for social science-driven assessments

In the current COVID-19 crisis, global and national public health authorities and organisations are searching their toolbox of methods and approaches to communicate to and connect with populations. As with HIV/AIDS or Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in West Africa, it became quickly apparent that the participation of those most affected by the disease, and communities in general, play a central role in understanding how to best shape and implement response efforts .

 

Resilient control : Neural emotion-regulatory circuitries predicting acute and long-term stress-responses

When we try to cope with stressful or challenging situations, our ability to regulate our responses towards these events is crucial. The general aim of this thesis was to investigate the role of prefrontal control over approach-avoidance tendencies in explaining individual differences in stress vulnerability and emotional responsivity. The large NWO-subsidized prospective longitudinal Police-In-Action (PIA) study enabled me to address this question in early-career police officers at high risk for trauma-exposure.

 

Pharmacological therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder : a systematic review and meta-analysis of monotherapy, augmentation and head-to-head approaches

Background: Pharmacological approaches are widely used for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) despite uncertainty over efficacy.

 

Objectives: To determine the efficacy of all pharmacological approaches, including monotherapy, augmentation and head-to-head approaches (drug versus drug, drug versus psychotherapy), in reducing PTSD symptom severity.

 

Method: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials were undertaken; 115 studies were included.

 

20 Things Not to Say to Someone With PTSD

Imagine you are the survivor of a horrible car crash. One day, while you’re walking down the street, you hear a car horn followed by a screeching noise. Before you get a chance to look around and figure out what happened, you feel a sudden rush of adrenaline. Fear paralyzes you from head to toe, and your mind fills up with images of the accident in which you were involved not long ago. It may look like you’re overreacting from the outside, but from the inside, everything feels so ‘real’ and overwhelming. And so, you sit there shaking and waiting for something horrible to happen.

Mindfulness-based programmes for mental health promotion in adults in nonclinical settings : A systematic review and metaanalysis of randomised controlled trials

Background

There is an urgent need for mental health promotion in nonclinical settings. Mindfulness–based programmes (MBPs) are being widely implemented to reduce stress, but a comprehensive evidence synthesis is lacking. We reviewed trials to assess whether MBPs promote mental health relative to no intervention or comparator interventions.

Methods and findings

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