ARQ National Psychotrauma Centre

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently estimated that one out of every three women will experience physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner or sexual violence by a non-partner during her lifetime (Abrahams et al., 2014, Devries et al., 2013). Both men and women can be victims as well as perpetrators of IPV, and pregnancy does not prevent it from occurring. Intimate partner...

Intimate partner violence is highly prevalent globally, which presents worrisome implications for mental health. As explained by the World Health Organization, women who are abused have higher rates of both suicidal ideation and suicide attempts than other women (World Health Organization [WHO], 2011). Our previous research has found that one in six women presenting to an orthopedic trauma clinic...

BackgroundInjured trauma victims are at risk of developing Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other post-trauma psychopathology. So far, interventions using cognitive behavioral techniques (CBT) have proven most efficacious in treating early PTSD in highly symptomatic individuals. No early intervention for the prevention of PTSD for all victims has yet proven effective. In the acute...

Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) develops in 10-20% of injury patients. We developed a novel, self-guided Internet-based intervention (called Trauma TIPS) based on techniques from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to prevent the onset of PTSD symptoms. Objective: To determine whether Trauma TIPS is effective in preventing the onset of PTSD symptoms in injury patients. Methods:...

Children born of wartime rape are particularly vulnerable and their case is complex as their needs intertwine with the needs of their mothers or their cultural community. To analyse the status of children born of rape and identify both risk factors and key issues, a systematic search among medical and psychological research articles was performed. In addition, historical, sociological and human...

Abstract: Studies on group treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in asylum seekers and refugees are scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of three different trauma-focused day-treatment group programs for treatment of PTSD in male asylum seekers and refugees. Three treatment groups (n = 56) and a waitlisted control group (n = 16) of help-seeking Iranian and...

Relationships between the corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor 1 (CRHR1) [rs878886] and serotonin transporter promoter polymorphism (5-HTTLPR), with resilience and satisfaction with life were examined in 172 adolescents; 70 refugee adolescents living in the Netherlands and 102 non-refugee (Dutch) adolescents. Genetic variation in the CRHR1 was related with self-reported resilience and satisfaction with life, while the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism was not.

Therapeutic alliance and perceived social support are important predictors of treatment response for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Intranasal oxytocin administration may enhance treatment response by increasing sensitivity for social reward and thereby therapeutic alliance and perceived social support. As a first step to investigate this therapeutical potential, we investigated whether intranasal oxytocin enhances neural sensitivity to social reward in PTSD patients.

Abstract: There is evidence that both the centrality of a loss-event as well as reduced self-concept clarity are involved in emotional problems after the death of a loved one. One issue that is still unexplored is the relative importance of these two concepts in predicting bereavement outcome. The current study examined the degree to which both concepts contribute to emotional distress after loss, both concurrently and longitudinally.