Treatment compliance and effectiveness in complex PTSD patients with co-morbid personality disorder undergoing stabilizing cognitive behavioral group treatment: a preliminary study

BackgroundIn the empirical and clinical literature, complex posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and personality disorders (PDs) are suggested to be predictive of drop-out or reduced treatment effectiveness in trauma-focused PTSD treatment.ObjectiveIn this study, we aimed to investigate if personality characteristics would predict treatment compliance and effectiveness in stabilizing complex PTSD treatment.MethodIn a randomized controlled trial on a 20-week stabilizing group cognitive behavioral treatment (CBT) for child-abuse-related complex PTSD, we included 71 patients of whom 38 were ra

Trauma, mental health, and intergenerational associations in Kosovar Families 11 years after the war

While there is a considerable amount of literature addressing consequences of trauma in veterans and holocaust survivors, war and postwar civilian populations, particularly children, are still understudied. Evidence regarding intergenerational effects of trauma in families is inconsistent. To shed light on intergenerational aspects of trauma-related mental health problems among families 11 years after the Kosovo war.

Trauma and stress among older adults in prison: Breaking the cycle of silence

Research consistently shows that incarcerated juveniles and adults experience high levels of prior traumatic experiences and stressful life events. Yet there is a gap in the literature addressing incarcerated older adults' life-course experiences of traumatic and stressful life events and their initial and current subjective interpretations of these events. Given that untreated trauma has been linked to decreased health and mental well-being, and recidivism, the current study attempts to address this gap.

Time after Time: biological factors in the course of recurrent depression.

The primary focus of this dissertation was to increase the knowledge about possible biological factors and psychopathological mechanisms (including HPA-axis functioning, one-carbon and fatty-acid metabolism), as well as some gene-environment interactions for the course of recurrent MDD (MDD-R). Studying MDD-R is important because there are indications that it represents a more biological and genetic determined MDD-subtype, which may be specifically linked to recurrence and CVD-risk.

Towards rational use of benzodiazepines in posttraumatic stress disorder

Lund and colleagues accurately mention that simply advocating against current benzodiazepine use in PTSD, without providing alternative strategies, is not an option. Future research is warranted, finding the optimal memory reactivation length may become a great clinical challenge of trial-and-error, as benzodiazepine administration may time-dependently both inhibit and promote forgetting in PTSD. (from the article)

Therapygenetics: the 5HTTLPR as a biomarker for response to psychological therapy?

Psychiatric illnesses are under polygenic influence and are associated with interactions between genetic variants and environmental exposures.1 Gene–environment interactions might not only predict onset of disease, but genetic biomarkers might also help the clinician to select the optimal treatment for patients.2 However, there is a lack of studies on therapygenetics for psychological treatment of psychiatric diseases.

The Role of Injury and Trauma-Related Variables in the Onset and Course of Symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

AbstractPosttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects a minority of trauma-exposed persons and is associated with significant impairment. This longitudinal study examined risk factors for PTSD. We tested whether the presence of injuries resulting from trauma exposure predicted the course of PTSD symptoms. In addition, we tested whether gender, trauma type, perceived life threat, and peritraumatic dissociation predicted the onset of PTSD symptoms. 236 trauma-exposed civilians were assessed for PTSD symptoms with a structured interview at four occasions during 6 months posttrauma.

The Primary Prevention of PTSD: A Systematic Review

There has been abundant research targeting the secondary and tertiary prevention and treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), including different forms of debriefing, treatments for acute stress disorder, and targeted intervention strategies (M. T. Feldner, C. M. Monson, & M. J. Friedman, 2007). However, there remains a scarcity of research pertaining to the primary, pretrauma prevention of PTSD. A systematic review was conducted in order to identify and synthesize all programs aimed at the primary prevention of PTSD to date.

The Provision of an EMDR-Based Multicomponent Trauma Treatment With Child Victims of Severe Interpersonal Trauma

This study evaluated a multicomponent phase–based trauma treatment approach for 34 children who were victims of severe interpersonal trauma (e.g., rape, sexual abuse, physical and emotional violence, neglect, abandonment). the children attended a week-long residential psychological recovery camp, which provided resource building experiences, the eye movement desensitization and reprocessing integrative group treatment protocol (emdr-igtp), and one-on-one emdr intervention for the resolution of traumatic memories.

The PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5)

The PCL-5 is a 20-item self-report measure that assesses the 20 DSM-5 symptoms of PTSD. The PCL-5 has a variety of purposes, including:•Monitoring symptom change during and after treatment•Screening individuals for PTSD•Making a provisional PTSD diagnosis The gold standard for diagnosing PTSD is a structured clinical interview such as the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS-5). When necessary, the PCL-5 can be scored to provide a provisional PTSD diagnosis.

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