A Retrospective Comparative Effectiveness Study of Medications for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Routine Practice

Objective: Fluoxetine, paroxetine, sertraline, topiramate, and venlafaxine have consistently shown efficacy for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials. However, no study has compared the effectiveness of these agents in routine clinical practice. We conducted a retrospective comparative effectiveness study of these 5 medications using electronic medical record data.

 

Doubly Randomized Preference Trial of Prolonged Exposure Versus Sertraline for Treatment of PTSD

Objective:
The authors examined the effect of patient treatment preference on the differential effectiveness of prolonged exposure and sertraline for the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

 

PTSD patients show increasing cytokine levels during treatment despite reduced psychological distress

Background: A reciprocal relationship between activated innate immune system and changes in mood and behavior has been established. There is still a paucity of knowledge on how the immune system responds during psychiatric treatment. We aimed to explore circulating cytokines and assess psychiatric symptom severity scores during 12 weeks of inpatient psychiatric treatment.

 

Reducing consequences of child maltreatment during adulthood by public health actions : a Delphi study

Background
Child maltreatment (CM) is associated with long-lasting poor health outcomes, as well as increased levels of disability and health-services consumption across the life-span. However, less is known about how CM consequences can be reduced during adulthood. We investigated professional opinions on how to mitigate long-term consequences of CM in a public health (PH) perspective.

 

Unaccompanied minor asylum seekers in the Netherlands : choice or chance?

Worldwide, many migrants leave their countries in search of safety and international protection. In 2015, the number of asylum seekers in Europe reached a peak. Among them were unaccompanied minor asylum seekers (UMAs). The current study aimed to investigate how and why UMAs who sought protection in the Netherlands during that year, ended up here. 

Highlighting the gender disparities in mental health among Syrian refugees in Jordan

Jordan has been a host country to many refugees from neighbouring countries for many years and has recently become a place of refuge for thousands of Syrians. The Syrian crisis has resulted in millions of Syrians fleeing their homes, uncertain of When they will return. Most of those seeking refuge have witnessed and/or experienced traumatic events that have affected their mental well-being in addition to starting over as refugees. Despite the large number of non-profit organizations providing free mental health services to refugees, not everyone has equal access to these services.

Stigma experienced by families with members with intellectual disabilities in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Introduction: This article outlines the results of a participatory action research project to (a) understand stigma experienced by family members of people with intellectual disabilities (IDs) in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo and (b) identify strategies used by these family members to mitigate or cope with stigma.

 

Methods: We conducted 20 semi-structured interviews with family members of people with ID.

 

Dance movement strategies training to help rebuild social capital in Colombia

Building social capital within a post-conflict scenario is key to achieving sustainable peace. The authors implemented an intervention consisting of a 120-h training programme in dance movement strategies in five violence-affected municipalities in Colombia (n=150). The aim of the intervention was to assess any possible changes in the participants’ states of mindfulness, bodily connection, emotional intelligence, somatic complaints, aggressive reaction, empathy, agency, and subjective emotional experience.

Trauma-related mental health problems and effectiveness of a stress management group in national humanitarian workers in the Central African Republic

The aim of this study is to assess the levels of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in national aid workers in Central African Republic as well as to evaluate the effectiveness of a stress management group in reducing those symptoms. Twenty-seven stress management groups were evaluated in two international non-governmental organisations in which 197 national humanitarian aid workers took part. There was a significant decrease in the intensity of every psychopathological variable tested despite a decrease in the sample between the pre- and post-tests.

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