Absence of definitive scientific evidence that benzodiazepines could hinder the efficacy of exposure‐based interventions in adults with anxiety or posttraumatic stress disorders : A systematic review of randomized clinical trials

Background and Objectives

Exposure‐based interventions (EBIs) are the first‐line treatment for anxiety disorders and posttraumatic stress disorder. Although common, the association between EBIs and benzodiazepines is controversial. Therefore, we systematically reviewed the literature to evaluate if benzodiazepines could undermine the efficacy of EBIs in treating these disorders.

 

Methods

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Social Embeddedness of Firefighters, Paramedics, Specialized Nurses, Police Officers, and Military Personnel : Systematic Review in Relation to the Risk of Traumatization.

Background: Firefighters, paramedics, specialized nurses working in Intensive Care Units (ICUs), Operating Rooms (OR), and Emergency Rooms (ER), police officers and military personnel are more frequently exposed to potentially traumatic events than the general population; they are considered high-risk professionals. To reduce the risk of traumatization it is of great importance to be embedded in a social environment with supportive relationships.

 

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A new treatment approach for PTSD : High-Intensive Narrative Exposure Therapy (HI-NET)

Current international guidelines recommend Trauma-Focused Therapies (TFT) to treat Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). However, non-response and dropout rates have shown to be substantial. TFT, delivered in a highly intensive dose may lead to a more efficacious symptom reduction and lower dropout rates. This article describes an inpatient treatment program with Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET), called High-Intensive NET (HI-NET).

 

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Refugees and Mental Health : Post-traumatic Stress, Crises and Diaspora

“In Syria, seeing a therapist is considered a sign that you're crazy”. Abdulaziz wishes mental health care was less taboo, especially in the Middle East, where he explains that people need it even more because of the region's problematic history.

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Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on mental health : An international study

Background

 

The COVID-19 pandemic triggered vast governmental lockdowns. The impact of these lockdowns on mental health is inadequately understood. On the one hand such drastic changes in daily routines could be detrimental to mental health. On the other hand, it might not be experienced negatively, especially because the entire population was affected.

 

Methods

 

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People of color in North America report improvements in racial trauma and mental health symptoms following psychedelic experiences

This study examined how psychedelics reduced symptoms of racial trauma among black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) subsequent to an experience of racism. A cross-sectional internet-based survey included questions about experiences with racism, mental health symptoms, and acute and enduring psychedelic effects. Changes in mental health were assessed by retrospective report of symptoms in the 30 days before and 30 days after an experience with psilocybin, Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), or 3,4- Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA).

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The long-term course of anxiety disorders : An epidemiological perspective

Anxiety disorders are very common and impose a considerable burden for patients, relatives, and society. There are several anxiety disorders, all of which are known for their often persistent course. Nevertheless, there is a lack of knowledge about its longitudinal course trajectories, which hampers prevention strategies and adjustment of treatments according to prognosis. The aim of this thesis was to get more insight into the longitudinal multi-year naturalistic course of anxiety disorders and to identify the factors that are associated with this course.

 

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Summers of war : Affective volunteer tourism to former war sites in Europe

An important aspect of contemporary volunteer tourism is generated by the possibility of having personal, emotional and affective encounters and experiences. Volunteer summer camps on former war sites, organized by the German Action Reconciliation Service for Peace (ARSP), can be regarded as an expression of a contemporary form of tourism, which consists of the development of a personal, affective, and immersive approach to learning and volunteering on former war sites.

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Molecular genetic overlap between posttraumatic stress disorder and sleep phenotypes

Study Objectives: Sleep problems are common, serving as both a predictor and symptom of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with these bidirectional relationships well established in the literature. While both sleep phenotypes and PTSD are moderately heritable, there has been a paucity of investigation into potential genetic overlap between sleep and PTSD.

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Predicting future risk of PTSD

Data routinely collected in the emergency department after trauma have the potential to predict those at risk of later PTSD, which shows promise for computational psychiatry.

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