Talking to Terrorists. Understanding the Psycho-Social Motivations of Militant Jihadi Terrorists, Mass Hostage Takers, Suicide Bombers & Martyrs

Talking to Terrorists is an account, spanning over a decade, of traveling through the West Bank and Gaza, into the prisons in Iraq, down the alleyways of the Casa Blanca slums, inside Chechnya, into the radicalized neighborhoods of Belgium, the UK, France and the Netherlands, sitting with the hostages of Beslan and Nord Ost, and talking to terrorists... In it's pages, Dr. Speckhard gives us an account of what puts vulnerable individuals on the terrorist trajectory and what might also take them back off it.

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Statistical methodological issues in handling of fatty acid data: percentage or concentration, imputation and indices.

AbstractBasic aspects in the handling of fatty acid-data have remained largely underexposed. Of these, we aimed to address three statistical methodological issues, by quantitatively exemplifying their imminent confounding impact on analytical outcomes: (1) presenting results as relative percentages or absolute concentrations, (2) handling of missing/non-detectable values, and (3) using structural indices for data-reduction. Therefore, we reanalyzed an example dataset containing erythrocyte fatty acid-concentrations of 137 recurrently depressed patients and 73 controls.

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Sustained medically unexplained physical symptoms in euthymic patients with recurrent depression: predictive value for recurrence and associations with omega 3- and 6 fatty acids and 5-HTTLPR?

AbstractBackgroundIdentification of potentially modifiable risk factors for recurrence in recurrent depression could provide opportunities to improve preventive interventions. In this study we aimed to examine the predictive value of medically unexplained physical symptoms (MUPS) on time to recurrence in recurrent depression. Additionally, to elucidate pathophysiological mechanisms that could explain the relations between MUPS and depression, we investigate the association between a sustained high level of MUPS, and (I) omega (?)–3 and ?

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Social connectedness: A potential aetiological factor in the development of child post-traumatic stress disorder

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate a new social connectedness factor and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in children who experienced a cyclone disaster. Method: Three months post-disaster school-based screening for PTSD was conducted. 804 children (mean age=10.22 years, SD=1.24) participated. 12.0% of children reported severe or very severe PTSD symptoms. Results: Low connected children, adjusted for age, gender and independent of cyclone exposure and threat perception, were 3.96 times more likely to experience severe to very severe PTSD.

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Somatic Diseases in Child Survivors of the Holocaust With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

The incidence of mental and somatic sequelae has been shown to be very high in people who survived the Holocaust. In the current study, 80 Holocaust survivors with posttraumatic stress disorder were examined based on evaluation of their complete record (medical reports, clinical history, medical statements, and handwritten declarations of patients under oath). These survivors were compared with subjects with posttraumatic stress disorder caused by traumata other than the Holocaust.

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Serving military families in the 21st century

This text introduces readers to military families, their resilience, and the challenges of military life. Personal stories from active duty, National Guard, reservists, veterans, and their families, from all branches and ranks of the military, and those who work with military personnel, bring their experiences to life. A review of the latest research, theories, policies, and programs better prepares readers for working with military families. Objectives, key terms, tables, figures, summaries, and exercises, including web based exercises, serve as a chapter review.

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Sleep disturbances and post-traumatic stress disorder, A perpetual circle?

AbstractBackground: Sleep facilitates the consolidation of fear extinction memory. Disrupted sleep has been proposed as a vulnerability factor for the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Moreover, nightmares and insomnia are hallmark symptoms of PTSD, possibly interfering with fear extinction and compromising recovery. A perpetual circle may develop when sleep increases the risk for PTSD, and PTSD leads to an increase of sleep disturbances. To date, therapeutic options for alleviating sleep disturbances in PTSD are limited.

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Sa1412 Symptom Severity in Functional Bowel Disorders is Determined by Psychological Profile, Traumatic Events and Stress Reactivity

Background: IBS is a common, painful, potentially disabling GI disorder associated with significant mental and medical (physical) comorbidity. The rate of mental-physical comorbidity is particularly high in more severe IBS patients seen in tertiary care settings. The individual and joint effects of coexisting mental and physical conditions on IBS is unknown but important because of their influence on health outcomes in general. Aim. This study investigated the explanatory value of 2 approaches for modeling mental-physical comorbidity associated with IBS.

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Salivary cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate in adolescent rape victims with post traumatic stress disorder

AbstractBACKGROUND: In chronic sexual abuse victims with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis can be dysregulated. In single rape victims, PTSD symptoms are hypothesized to function as a chronic stressor leading to similar HPA-axis dysregulation.

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REM Sleep Bout Duration and Frequency in PTSD

The few pharmacological treatments shown to be effective in reducing sleep disturbance in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) might work through normalization of rapid eye movement (REM). However, evidence of REM sleep disturbance in PTSD has been inconsistent and the definition of REM bout has varied as well. In this study, we compared polysomnographic findings in adults with PTSD to both normal sleepers and insomniacs. We found no differences between those with and without PTSD on REM bout frequency or duration.

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