Trauma and PTSD in Japan

This issue of the PTSD Research Quarterly is the third in an occasional series on the epidemiology of trauma and PTSD around the world, following previous issues on Latin America (Fall 2009) and the Middle East (Fall 2010). Whereas published reviews of epidemiologic studies focus primarily on North America, this series aims to highlight other relevant bodies of work. In this issue, I consider research conducted in a specific country, Japan, rather than in a region of the world.

The skin immune system : the resourceful army of Langerhans cells

Contact dermatitis (CD) is a common health problem, which affects both men andwomen and accounts for 85-90% of all skin diseases. Two main types of contact dermatitiscan be distinguished, according to the pathophysiological mechanisms involved, i.e. allergicand irritant CD. Allergic CD (ACD) requires the activation of antigen specific (i.e. acquired)immunity leading to the development of effector T cells, which mediate skin inflammation[1,2].

The small world of Psychopathology

Background: Mental disorders are highly comorbid: people having one disorder are likely to have another as well. We explain empirical comorbidity patterns based on a network model of psychiatric symptoms, derived from an analysis of symptom overlap in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV (DSM-IV).

The small world of Psychopathology

Background: Mental disorders are highly comorbid: people having one disorder are likely to have another as well. We explain empirical comorbidity patterns based on a network model of psychiatric symptoms, derived from an analysis of symptom overlap in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV (DSM-IV).

The Oxford handbook of clinical psychology

AbstractThe Oxford Handbook of Clinical Psychology synthesizes writing on clinical psychology since the late 1960s in one volume. Comprising articles from the foremost scholars in clinical psychology, the book provides even and authoritative coverage of the research, practice, and policy factors that combine to form today's clinical psychology landscape.

The past if past: the use of memories and self-healing narratives in refugees from the Former Yugoslavia

This study identifies two main narratives and subject positions adopted by refugee participants from the former Yugoslavia: 'the past is past' and 'the past is our strength.' It analyses the complexity implicit in these two narratives about the past. Although these narratives at first appear contradictory, the participants' stories illustrate the ways in which they co-operate for the development of mental health in refugees. The ongoing dialogue between the two narratives allows for the participants' endorsement of subject positions that refer to both individual and collective identities.

The Place of Complementary Therapies in an Integrated Model of Refugee Health Care: Counselors'and Refugee Clients' Perspectives

This paper explores the place of complementary therapies in an integrated model of refugee health care at Foundation House, a leading torture and trauma rehabilitation service in Melbourne, Australia. At Foundation House counselling and complementary therapies are practised collaboratively. The paper is based on two independent qualitative research projects: one project examined refugee women's experiences of complementary therapies and the second investigated counsellors' reasons for referral to complementary therapies.

The relationship between trauma, post-migration problems and the psychological well-being of refugees and asylum seekers

Background: There is growing evidence of the impact of post-migration factors on the mental health of refugees. To date, few UK studies have been conducted. Aims: The study investigated the relationship between trauma, post-migration problems, social support and the mental health of refugees and asylum seekers. Methods: Refugees and asylum seekers (n = 47) were recruited mainly from clinical settings. Self-report measures of post-migration problems, mental health problems and social support were completed in an interview.

The limits of resilience: distress following chronic political violence among Palestinians

We examined posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression symptom trajectories during ongoing exposure to political violence, seeking to identify psychologically resilient individuals and the factors that predict resilience. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with a random sample of 1196 Palestinian adult residents of the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem across three occasions, six months apart (September 2007-November 2008). Latent growth mixture modeling identified PTSD, and depression symptom trajectories.

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