Weighing the Costs of Disaster: Consequences, Risks, and Resilience in Individuals, Families, and Communities

Disasters typically strike quickly and cause great harm. Unfortunately, because of the spontaneous and chaotic nature of disasters, the psychological consequences have proved exceedingly difficult to assess. Published reports have often overestimated a disaster’s psychological cost to survivors, suggesting, for example, that many if not most survivors will develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), at the same time, these reports have underestimated the scope of the disaster’s broader impact in other domains.

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Veränderte selbstwahrnehmung bei der posttraumatischen belastungsstörung = Changed self-perception in the posttraumatic stress disorder transparancy illusion and self handicapping.

Traumapatienten zeigen eine Reihe von Veränderungen in der sozialen Wahrnehmung von anderen Personen und sich selbst. In der sozialen Kognitionsforschung sind im Zusammenhang mit der sozialen Kognition die Konzepte »Transparency Illusion« (TI: Durchschautwerden-Können-Illusion) und Self-Handicapping (SH: Sich-selbst-Handicappen) beschrieben. Wir untersuchten diese beiden Phänomene mit neu entwickelten Methoden in einer Gruppenvergleichsstudie bei PTBS-Patienten. 16 Patienten mit einer partiellen oder voll ausgeprägten PTBS wurden mit einer gesunden Kontrollgruppe verglichen.

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VI Congreso Internacional sobre Vi?ctimas del Terrorismo : Salamanca (Espan?a) 11, 12 y 13 de febrero de 2010

Desde el año 2004, a través del Observatorio Internacional de Víctimas del Terrorismo de laFundación Universitaria San Pablo CEU, vienen celebrándose nuevas ediciones de los CongresosInternacionales sobre Víctimas del Terrorismo.

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Vulnerability factors for disaster-induced child post-traumatic stress disorder: the case for low family resilience and previous mental illness

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to investigate whether parent report of family resilience predicted children's disaster-induced post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and general emotional symptoms, independent of a broad range of variables including event-related factors, previous child mental illness and social connectedness. METHODS: A total of 568 children (mean age = 10.2 years, SD = 1.3) who attended public primary schools, were screened 3 months after Cyclone Larry devastated the Innisfail region of North Queensland.

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Using the MMPI to Assess Reported Cognitive Disturbances and Somatization as a Core Feature of Complex PTSD

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) clinical scales as well as 4 sets of MMPI items known to be sensitive to neurological dysfunction (closed head injury, cerebrovascular disorder) were administered to survivors of childhood physical and/or sexual abuse and to non-abused adults. As predicted, relative to the comparison group of psychiatric patients, the abused participants scored significantly higher on Scale 8 (Schizophrenia) and on all 4 sets of items associated with neurological dysfunction.

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Underdiagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder in at risk youth

Three studies examined the diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in agencies treating at risk youth. Studies 1 and 2 (1999) found that baseline PTSD diagnosis was rare in a residential and an outpatient agency (2.3% and 5.4%, respectively) whereas trauma-focused interviews identified PTSD in 47.7% and 44.6% of these clients. Subsequent training efforts increased awareness of PTSD and recognition of unique issues in assessing at risk youth.

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Using the international classification of functioning, disability and health (ICF) to describe the functioning of traumatised refugees

Abstract: The aim of this project was to use the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) to develop an interdisciplinary instrument consisting of a Core Set, a number of codes selected from ICF, to describe the overall health condition of traumatised refugees.

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Traumabearbeitung in der gruppenanalytischen Psychotherapie: Identifikationsprozesse in einer gemischten Gruppe mit Tätern und Opfern von sexuellem Missbrauch

All reports about homogenous groups of victims or perpetrators, as well as my own experience, show that the process of cross-identification between victims and perpetrators can only be worked through in mixed groups with victims and perpetrators. This process of crossidentification was supported by mirroring, resonance, holding and containing inside the group. The following identification processes could be differentiated: 1.

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Traumas, deuils et témoignage: élaboration des traumas et travail de deuil chez les enfants juifs cachés en France pendant l'Occupation = Traumas and testimony, the work of mourning of jewish children hidden in France during World War II

Les enfants juifs, orphelins de la Shoah ayant survécu aux persécutions nazies et à la collaboration française en étant cachés ont souvent été confrontés à de multiples traumatismes. Devenus adultes, parents et grands-parents, certains d'entre eux participent depuis plusieurs années à des associations visant à honorer et transmettre la mémoire de leurs parents assassinés en déportation.

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Trauma exposure and hypothalamic-pituitary- adrenal axis functioning in mentally healthy Dutch peacekeeping veterans, 10-25 years after deployment

Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis alterations have been found in veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It is unclear whether trauma exposure during adulthood in the absence of psychopathology is also associated with HPA-axis dysregulation. Thirty-six trauma-exposed peacekeepers, 23 nonexposed peacekeepers, and 25 nonexposed civilians, all without lifetime psychopathology were studied. Basal HPA-axis functioning was assessed with salivary cortisol samples obtained over 2 days. HPA-axis reactivity was assessed with the dexamethasone/corticotropin-releasing hormone test.

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