Effects Of Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms Research Articles

Post-traumatic stress symptoms, post-traumatic stress disorder, and post-traumatic growth among cancer survivors: a systematic scoping review of interventions

ABSTRACT The detrimental effects of Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms (PTSS) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and the benefits of Post-Traumatic Growth (PTG) are well established for cancer survivors. Increased cancer survival rates necessitate an understanding of how these two paradoxical outcomes, PTSS/PTSD and PTG, are targeted through interventions. This systematic scoping review aims to (a) examine existing evidence on interventions targeting PTSS/PTSD and/or PTG among cancer survivors and (b) identify knowledge gaps to inform future research. Following the six steps of a scoping review, 76 articles met the inclusion criteria. Quantitative articles were examined using descriptive analysis. Frequency counts of the collated data were tabulated into summary tables. Qualitative articles were reviewed using meta-synthesis. Most articles were quantitative (n = 52) and targeted PTG (n = 68) through promising intervention approaches such as psychotherapy, mindfulness, physical activity, and psilocybin-assisted therapy. Three key implications for future research and practice were synthesized: (1) mechanistic considerations for intervention design that provide a roadmap for rigorous and theoretically-grounded research; (2) the need for improved representation of cancer survivors in trials; and (3) potential facilitators of intervention efficacy. Together, these findings can direct future research to optimize interventions to reduce PTSS/PTSD and promote PTG achievement among cancer survivors.

Memory alterations in post-traumatic stress disorder

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a disorder that develops following the experience of a highly stressful event, which involves a confrontation with death or the threat of death, serious injury or sexual violence. It is characterized by symptoms such as intrusions, avoidance and hypervigilance. According to the literature, PTSD is associated with an imbalance between a privileged memorization of the emotional and sensory aspects of the traumatic event and a failure to memorize the contextual aspects. That is why PTSD is now considered a memory disorder whose effects extend to several components. In this review article, we focus on how PTSD affects long-term memory. The first part describes the long-term effects of PTSD on episodic memory with emphasis on the difficulties in encoding certain elements of the traumatic event and their consequences. These difficulties may be manifested in the narration of the trauma, with a discourse of the traumatic event lacking in contextual details. They may also lead to reliving and generalizing the fear to other contexts, whether they are related to the trauma or not. The second part of the article discusses how PTSD affects autobiographical memory and has consequences for the construction of identity and the perception of the past, present and future of people with this disorder. Autobiographical memory, which plays a key role in the storage of past personal memories as well as in identity formation, shows several forms of disruption induced by PTSD. First, a decrease in contextual details associated with memories of the personal past is observed, meaning that people with PTSD tend to remember their past experiences less accurately. Second, a propensity to project the future in a more negative and unpredictable manner is evidenced, related to a feeling of uncertainty about the future in PTSD suffering individuals. Finally, alterations in the encoding of present events due to the disruptive effects of post-traumatic stress symptoms during the encoding process are also identified.

Daily reciprocal relations between emotion dysregulation and non-suicidal self-injury among individuals with a history of sexual assault: The influence of posttraumatic stress symptoms.

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a serious public health concern that can be understood within an emotion dysregulation framework. The current study adds to the literature by utilizing a micro-longitudinal design and novel statistical modeling to test reciprocal associations between emotion dysregulation and NSSI, as well as the potential moderating effect of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). Participants were 81 individuals with a history of sexual assault and NSSI (Mage =33.80; 67.9% women; 80.2% white) recruited from the community who self-reported on symptoms of emotion dysregulation and NSSI thoughts/behaviors once daily for 7 days. Average compliance rate was 72.8% (SD=31.3%) and 34 participants (42.0%) endorsed NSSI thoughts/behaviors over the course of the study. Findings revealed a significant positive effect of NSSI thoughts/behaviors on subsequent abilities to regulate negative emotions. Furthermore, while results did not detect a moderating influence of baseline PTSS on the relation between emotion dysregulation and NSSI thoughts/behaviors over time, individuals with higher baseline PTSS were found to experience heightened levels of NSSI thoughts/behaviors and emotion dysregulation on average. Information from this study may be useful for future research and intervention development focused on the intersection of NSSI, PTSS, and emotion dysregulation.

The Interactive Effects of Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms and Breathlessness on Fatigue Severity in Post-COVID-19 Syndrome.

Background: Post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and breathlessness have been well documented in the acute phase of COVID-19 as well as in Post-COVID-19 Syndrome (PCS), commonly known as Long-COVID. The present study aimed to explore whether PTSS and breathlessness interact to exacerbate fatigue among individuals recovering from PCS, similar to the effects evidenced in other health conditions that feature respiratory distress.. Methods: Outcome measures were collected from 154 participants reporting persistent fatigue following acute COVID-19 infection who were enrolled in a 7-week rehabilitation course provided by the Primary Care Wellbeing Service (PCWBS) in Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust (BDCFT). Results: Hierarchical multiple linear regression revealed that fatigue severity was associated with a significant interaction between PTSS and breathlessness, even when controlling for pre-COVID health related quality of life (HRQoL), age, symptom duration and hospital admittance during the acute phase. Furthermore, improvements in fatigue following rehabilitation were significantly associated with improvements in PTSS. Conclusions: PTSS may be an important therapeutic target in multidisciplinary rehabilitation for reducing fatigue in the recovery from PCS. It is therefore important that treatment for PCS takes a biopsychosocial approach to recovery, putting emphasis on direct and indirect psychological factors which may facilitate or disrupt physical recovery. This highlights the need for all PCS clinics to screen for PTSD and if present, target as a priority in treatment to maximise the potential for successful rehabilitation.

Intergenerational effects of posttraumatic stress symptoms in family: The roles of parenting behavior, feelings of safety, and self-disclosure

This study examined the effects of parents’ posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and parenting behaviors, children’s feelings of safety, and children’s self-disclosure on children’s PTSS, to elucidate the mechanisms underlying intergenerational effect of PTSS. Three months after the Super Typhoon Lekima occurred in China, August 2019, self-report questionnaires were used to investigate 866 Chinese parent–child dyads (children’s mean age was 10.55 years, 52.2% were boys; parents’ mean age was 37.99 years, 23.2% were fathers) in the area most affected by the typhoon. The results found that parents’ PTSS may have disrupted the provision of emotionally warm parenting, in turn reducing children’s feelings of safety and limiting their self-disclosure, ultimately increasing the severity of children’s PTSS. This suggested that the mechanisms underlying the intergenerational effect of PTSS between parents and children involve the combined role of parents’ emotionally warm parenting, children’s feelings of safety, and children’s self-disclosure.

Ethnic Identity Development, Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms, and Relationships with Primary Caregivers: A Two-Wave Longitudinal Study among Yi Ethnic Minority Youths in Rural China School Settings

Background. This study examined the effects of post-traumatic stress symptoms and child–primary caregiver relationships on the ethnic identity of Yi ethnic minority adolescents (n = 550; aged 13–18) in rural China over one school year. The moderating effect of caregivers’ relationships over time and ethnic identity, and post-traumatic stress and ethnic identity, were investigated. Methods. Participants completed two waves of the survey. Longitudinal multilevel modeling was used. Results. (1) Ethnic identity exploration increased over time, while ethnic identity commitment remained stable. (2) Post-traumatic stress symptoms led to high levels of ethnic identity exploration and commitment. (3) Participants with distinct caregivers’ relationship patterns, i.e., secured, optimal, deprived, and disengaged, differed in their ethnic identity exploration scores, but not in ethnic identity commitment. (4) While the secured group scored highest in their ethnic identity development over time, youths who felt disengaged with their caregivers showed the fastest rate of positive change in their ethnic identity exploration. (5) Having a secured caregivers’ relationship weakened the effect of post-traumatic stress on ethnic identity exploration. Conclusion. Practical implications for the meaning of ethnic identity exploration, the promoting effect of caregivers’ relationships, and the negative impact of post-traumatic stress among ethnic minority youths were discussed. Future research directions were also proposed.

Mother-infant contact after birth can reduce postpartum post-traumatic stress symptoms through a reduction in birth-related fear and guilt

ObjectivesDespite the well-documented negative effects of posttraumatic stress symptoms following childbirth (PTSS-FC), research on protective factors for PTSS-FC is still missing. Aiming to fill this gap, we proposed and examined a process model through which maternal-infant skin-to-skin contact after birth reduces PTSS-FC by decreasing negative emotions, especially for women who had operative births. MethodIn this longitudinal study, pregnant women (N = 1833) were recruited at community and hospital medical centres in the center of Israel and through internet forums. At Time 1, during pregnancy, they rated their prenatal depressive symptoms which served as an indicator for prenatal vulnerabilities. At Time 2, two-months postpartum (N = 1371, 75% of the sample), they reported their mode of birth, whether they had skin-to-skin contact with their newborn after birth, their emotions during birth, and rated their current PTSS-FC. A moderated mediation analysis was used to examine the proposed model. ResultsGuilt and fear during birth mediated the association between mode of birth (instrumental or cesarean versus vaginal) and PTSS-FC. Skin-to-skin contact was related to reduced feelings of guilt and fear during birth, especially for women who had a cesarean section. ConclusionsOur results recognize the specific emotions that contribute to the development of PTSS-FC following operative births and show how skin-to-skin contact can possibly reduce them. As such they emphasize the importance of the implementation of skin-to-skin contact following childbirth, and especially following a cesarean section as recommended by the Baby Friendly Health Initiative (World Health Organization & UNICEF, 2009).

After Experiencing a Tornado: Adolescents' Longitudinal Trajectories in Posttraumatic Growth and Their Association with Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms.

This study investigated the trajectories in posttraumatic growth (PTG) among adolescents who survived from the Yancheng tornado in China, and explored the effects of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) on these trajectories. Participants (n = 246) finished 4 assessments at 6, 9, 12, and 18months after the tornado. Growth mixture model and logistic regression were used to examine the heterogeneous trajectories and therole of PTSS for differentiating trajectoriesrespectively. Two latent PTG trajectories were observed: group with decreasing PTG and group with fluctuant PTG, which might stem from the illusory component and the factual component of PTG respectively based on the two-component model; and adolescents with more PTSS hadhigher probabilities generating decreasing PTG, that is, illusory PTG. This study suggested differentiating PTG trajectories and related influencing factors to improve the post-disaster psychologicalinterventions in a longitudinal perspective.

Feelings and feedings: Psychopathology and breastfeeding attitudes in women with a history of intimate partner violence.

Objective: Breastfeeding has myriad benefits for mother-child dyads, but women exposed to intimate partner violence (IPV) are less likely to sustain breastfeeding. Prior studies, however, have not analyzed mothers' breastfeeding attitudes in relation to breastfeeding behavior, IPV, and psychopathology. Further, little research has examined distinctive effects of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and depression on breastfeeding behaviors and attitudes in IPV-exposed women. This study examines breastfeeding attitudes, psychopathology, and IPV as predictors of breastfeeding continuation, the prospective role of IPV for psychopathology and breastfeeding attitudes, and reciprocal relations among psychopathology and breastfeeding attitudes. Method: The current study includes a longitudinal sample of women (N = 83) recruited from a low-income clinic. Eligibility criteria included: pregnant and over age 18 at baseline. Data were collected during pregnancy and at 6 weeks and 4 months postpartum. Participants reported on psychopathology, IPV exposure, and breastfeeding behaviors and attitudes through prenatal interviews and postpartum surveys. Hypotheses were tested using cross-lagged models. Results: IPV, psychopathology, and breastfeeding attitudes were not related to breastfeeding continuation at 4 months postpartum. PTSS (β = .76, p < .001) and breastfeeding attitudes (β = -.19, p < .05) at 6 weeks postpartum predicted PTSS at 4 months, but not subsequent breastfeeding attitudes. Depression at 6 weeks postpartum predicted depression (β = .63, p < .001) and breastfeeding attitudes (β = -.48, p < .001) at 4 months postpartum. IPV was not significant in any model. Conclusions: Although depression severity was not associated with breastfeeding cessation, it was associated with less positive attitudes about breastfeeding, suggesting lactation supports may benefit from content addressing mothers' mental health needs and emotional experiences nursing newborns. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

The Influence of Post-traumatic Stress Symptoms and Calling on Job Satisfaction Level among Firefighters

The study was conducted to analyze the data from 117 firefighters aged 39.01±9.17 to find out the effect of post-traumatic stress symptoms and calling on their job satisfaction level. The three elements in IES-R, hyperarousal, avoidance and intrusion, were used to measure the level of post-traumatic stress, along with the Korean version of multidimensional calling measure (MCM-K). The results show that 35% of them were classified as a high-risk group of post-traumatic stress symptoms and the old group over 50 years of age had the highest level of post-traumatic stress. A significant negative correlation was found between job satisfaction and post-traumatic stress symptoms, while there was a positive correlation between job satisfaction level and calling. Statitistically significant covariates in the multiple regression model included educational background and working period of firefighters.

Resilience as a mediator in the relationship between posttraumatic stress and posttraumatic growth among adult accident or crime victims: the moderated mediating effect of childhood trauma

ABSTRACT Background: Results on the association between posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and posttraumatic growth (PTG) are inconsistent, and there may be unknown factors mediating or moderating this relationship. Identifying these factors could help in developing an intervention strategy for promoting PTG. However, few studies have examined relationships among PTSS, resilience, and PTG concurrently, and no study has investigated the effect of childhood trauma on these relationships in adulthood. Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the moderated mediating effect of childhood trauma on resilience and its associations with PTSS and PTG in adult victims of traumatic accidents or crimes. We hypothesized that resilience would mediate relationships between PTSS and PTG and that its mediating effects would differ depending on childhood trauma. Methods: We included adult victims of accidents or crimes referred to a university hospital or specialized support centre (n = 143). PTSS, resilience, childhood trauma, and PTG were measured with the following questionnaires: PTSD Checklist for DSM-5, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire, and the Short Form of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, respectively. Results: The effect of PTSS on PTG was found to be fully mediated by resilience, and this mediating effect was moderated according to childhood trauma: the more childhood traumatic experiences, the greater the mediating effect of resilience was between PTSS and PTG. The effect of resilience on PTG was highest in the high childhood trauma group. Conclusion: Therapists treating individuals with psychological trauma should attempt to identify a history of childhood trauma and to evaluate resilience. Therapeutic approaches tailored according thereto may improve PTG among individuals with PTSS symptoms, especially those with high levels of childhood trauma.

The moderating effect of exposure to robbery on the relationship between post-traumatic stress and job satisfaction

Research has disregarded the boundary conditions of the effects of post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) at work. Addressing this issue, the present study examines the moderating impact of the (shared vs. isolated) exposure to robbery on the relationship between PTSS and employee job satisfaction. Drawing on the conservation of resources theory, we argue that PTSS would positively affect employee job satisfaction when the robbery is experienced collectively. To test our predictions, we conducted a two-wave study—with a lag of two months between measurements—on 140 employees from a national bank in Italy. Results from hierarchical regression analyses supported our prediction: the exposure to robbery moderated the relationship between PTSS and job satisfaction. While within the “isolated exposure” group the job satisfaction score was higher among less symptomatic victims, within the “shared exposure” group those with high PTSS reported higher job satisfaction levels than those with low PTSS. We discuss the implications of these findings for theory and practice.

Post-traumatic stress symptoms and cognition in children exposed to motor vehicle accident trauma

ABSTRACTResearch investigating the cognition of children exposed to non-familial trauma is scarce and the effects of post-traumatic stress symptoms in this population remain unclear. Thus, this research aimed to investigate the cognition of children exposed to motor vehicle accidents given the high incidence of this trauma globally. It was hypothesized that children with post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS; i.e., children with subthreshold or a full diagnosis of PTSD; n = 6) would perform significantly worse on cognitive measures compared to children exposed to trauma only (TO; i.e., children with very minimal or no PTSS; n = 10) and a healthy control group (n = 19). Analyses showed children with PTSS demonstrated significantly poorer perceptual reasoning F(2,32) = 7.21, p = .01, partial η2 = .31; verbal learning F(2,32) = 3.87, p = .05, partial η2 = .20; and delayed verbal memory F(2,32) = 4.40, p = .05, partial η2 = .22, compared to HCs. The magnitude of the differences between the groups was large. Differences in immediate verbal recall, executive functioning, and verbal intellectual abilities were moderate to large in magnitude, with the PTSS group performing worse than both groups, but these findings did not reach significance. Overall findings from this study provide further support for the notion that children exposed to non-familial trauma with significant PTSS display cognitive difficulties compared to healthy children.

Physical and Mental Health and Functioning Among Traumatic Brain Injury Close Relatives: The Role of Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms.

Severe Traumatic brain injury (sTBI) often instigates widespread long-lasting disability and is accompanied by extensive rehabilitation. Unsurprisingly, sTBI also holds malignant consequences for patients' close relatives. The burden caused by the injury and its severity explains some of the ramifications for the relatives. Additionally, some findings demonstrate that patients with sTBI and their relatives develop posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms. However, although the link between PTS symptoms and physical and mental health is well-documented in literature, the effect of PTS symptoms on relatives of patients with sTBI has barely been examined. This study examines the influence of PTS symptoms of patients with sTBI and their relatives on the physical and mental health and functioning of the relatives. Patients who sustained a severe sTBI (Abbreviated Injury Scale of the head region>3) and close relatives were included in a multi-center, prospective cohort study (TRAST-MI). One-hundred patients and their relatives were assessed at 2, 6, and 12months post injury. Outcome variables included health-related quality of life (SF-12) as well as emotional, cognitive, interpersonal, and total functioning (PCRS). Relatives' physical health was predicted by relatives' PTS symptoms (Slope=-1.76; p=.043), and mental health was predicted by both patients' (Slope=-2.77; p=.034) and relatives' (Slope=-6.59; p<.001) PTS symptoms. Functioning level was only predicted by patients' PTS symptoms (Slope=-.25; p< .001). The findings emphasize that TBI should be considered a comprehensive traumatic experience reaching further than mere physical damage to the brain and its direct consequences, affecting the injured individual and close relatives.

The long-term effects of early-life trauma on psychological, physical and physiological health among the elderly: the study of Holocaust survivors

Objectives: To study post-traumatic stress symptoms and post-traumatic growth and heart rate variability among elderly Holocaust survivors and a matched comparison group and the mediational effect of post-traumatic stress symptoms and post-traumatic growth on the association between Holocaust experience and heart rate variability.Method: 159 Holocaust survivors and 87 matched participants without Holocaust experience answered post-traumatic stress symptoms and post-traumatic growth questionnaires. Heart rate variability time and frequency parameters were measured for a subsample of N = 133.Results: Holocaust survivors reported higher levels of post-traumatic stress symptoms and post-traumatic growth. Most heart rate variability measures were similar in the two groups, except for better heart rate variability measured by the ratio of low frequency/high frequency among Holocaust survivors. Structural equation modeling showed that belonging to the Holocaust survivor group was associated with higher post-traumatic stress symptoms and higher post-traumatic growth, as well as better heart rate variability scores (standard deviation of normal to normal R-R intervals, high frequency and the ratio of low frequency/high frequency) through the mediation of post-traumatic stress symptoms and post-traumatic growth.Conclusions: The study emphasized the duality of the association between post-traumatic stress symptoms and post-traumatic growth and their integrated effect on heart rate variability.

Examining the indirect effect of posttraumatic stress symptoms via emotion dysregulation on alcohol misuse among trauma-exposed Latinx in primary care.

Latinx individuals face substantial health disparities, particularly in the areas of mental health and substance use. Among Latinx in the U.S., alcohol is the most widely abused substance and is associated with a range of negative consequences. Among Latinx, limited past work has linked trauma exposure/symptoms to alcohol misuse, however not much is known regarding how trauma exposure/symptoms may impact alcohol misuse. One potential explanatory mechanism underlying associations of traumatic stress and problematic alcohol use is emotion dysregulation. The current study sought to examine the explanatory role of emotion dysregulation in the associations of traumatic stress symptoms with alcohol misuse among trauma-exposed Latinx. Alcohol misuse was operationalized by two outcomes: alcohol use severity and probable screen for hazardous drinking. Latinx adults (N = 238) were recruited from a Federally Qualified Health Center. Participants were interviewed using the M.I.N.I. and then completed various self-report assessments (in Spanish). Structural equation modeling was used to evaluate models. Structural models fit the data well. These models evidenced statistically significant indirect effects of posttraumatic stress symptoms via emotion dysregulation on alcohol use severity and probable screen for hazardous drinking. In a sample comprising primarily females, posttraumatic stress symptoms may contribute to alcohol misuse and hazardous drinking attributable to maladaptive emotion regulation. Use of interventions targeting emotion dysregulation in the context of trauma and hazardous alcohol use among Latinx in primary care may be warranted. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Nonsuicidal self-injury among adolescents and young adults with prolonged exposure to violence: The effect of post-traumatic stress symptoms

Less is known about nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) among adolescents and young adults living in areas under prolonged political violence. This study aims to explore the frequencies of NSSI as well as the severity of post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), depression, anxiety, and sleep problems among 889 Palestinian adolescents and young adults. The participants completed self-report questionnaires assessing NSSI, PTSS, depression, anxiety symptoms, and sleep difficulties. The results found that 13.8% of the total sample are frequently engaging in some form of NSSI behavior. Moreover, 43.1% exhibited severe symptoms of PTSD, and almost one-third of the sample reported severe symptoms of depression (30.1%); more than two-thirds of the sample (68.4%) experience sleep difficulties. Those who engage in NSSI were found to be at higher risk for sleep problems, depression, and PTSS. Avoidance/numbing, as well as hyperarousal symptoms clusters of PTSS, were significantly associated with NSSI above and beyond depressive symptoms. These results suggest that NSSI is frequently a sequelae of prolonged exposure to trauma and violence, and highlight the importance of routine assessment of this behavior. It is crucial to be familiar with the association between PTSS, sleep difficulties, and NSSI in a clinical setting to implement programs focusing on preventing these domains.

Reciprocal associations of pain and post-traumatic stress symptoms after whiplash injury: A longitudinal, cross-lagged study.

The objectives of the current study were to investigate (1) the longitudinal, reciprocal associations between pain and post-traumatic stress symptoms as proposed by the mutual maintenance model, and (2)to assess the predictive value of the three clusters of post-traumatic stress, where the model revealed that post-traumatic stress symptoms maintained pain in a consecutive cohort of whiplash-injured. Participants (n=253; 66.4% women) were people with WAD grades I-III following motor vehicle crashes in Australia. Pain and post-traumatic stress symptoms were assessed by questionnaires over the course of a year (at baseline (<4weeks), 3, 6 and 12months post-injury). The objectives were tested using auto-regressive cross-lagged modelling and two additional structural equationmodels. The analyses revealed that post-traumatic stress symptoms at baseline predicted an increase in pain between baseline and 3months and that post-traumatic stress symptoms at 6months predicted an increase in pain between 6 and 12months, beyond the stability of pain over time. Furthermore, hyperarousal at baseline significantly predicted pain at 3months and hyperarousal at 6months significantly predicted pain at 12months with 16 and 23% explained variance, respectively. [Correction added on 2 March 2018 after first online publication: the explained variance for hyperarousal symptoms at 6 months was previously given incorrectly and has been corrected to 23% in this version.] CONCLUSIONS: The results point to a temporal main effect of post-traumatic stress symptoms on pain over and above the stability of pain itself within the first 3months post-injury and again in the chronic phase from 6 to 12months with hyperarousal symptoms driving these effects. From 3 to 6months, there was a slip in the maintenance patterns with no cross-lagged effects. Investigating mutual maintenance of pain and PTSS in whiplash, the present study found evidence suggesting a maintaining effect of PTSS on pain within the first 3months post-injury and from 6 to 12months driven by hyperarousal, highlighting the importance of addressing PTSS.

Assessing the Impact of Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms on the Resting-State Default Mode Network in a Military Chronic Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Sample.

The relationship between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and chronic symptoms of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is difficult to discern and poorly understood. An accurate differential diagnosis, assessment, and treatment of mTBI and PTSD are challenging due to significant symptom overlap and the absence of clearly established biomarkers. The objective of this work is to examine how post-traumatic stress influences task-free default mode network in chronic mTBI subjects. Control subjects (N = 44) were compared with chronic mTBI subjects with low (N = 58, PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version [PCL-C] total < 30), medium (N = 124, PCL-C total = 31-49), and high (N = 105, PCL-C total ≥ 60) post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). The results indicate significant differences in Brodmann area 10 for all mTBI subject groups, indicating potential mTBI-related disruptions with regulation of emotions and decision-making. The effects of PTSS were observed in the anterior cingulate and parahippocampus, suggesting possible disruptions pertaining to memory regulation, encoding, and retrieval. The overall results indicate the presence of aberrant connectivity patterns between controls and chronic mTBI subjects with low, medium, and high PTSS. Furthermore, the findings suggest a disruption in attention relating to a network of brain regions involved with emotional regulation and memory coding, rather than a fear-related response. Taken together, the results suggest these regions form a network that could be a target for future research pertaining to PTSD and chronic mTBI. Furthermore, the use of clinical measures, task-based imaging studies, or multimodal imaging could help further elucidate specific neural correlates of PTSS and mTBI.

Maternal mind-mindedness as a linking mechanism between childbirth-related posttraumatic stress symptoms and parenting stress

ABSTRACTThe researchers of this study have two aims. The first aim is to verify whether posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms, evaluated at 87 hours and at 3 months postpartum, are associated with maternal mind-mindedness (MM) and parenting stress, measured at 17 months postpartum. The second aim is to investigate, at 17 months, the predictive effects of PTS symptoms on the dimensions of parenting stress and to explore whether MM mediates these associations. Forty-one mother–infant dyads participated in the study. The results show that at 17 months, hyper-arousal symptoms predicted both MM and parenting stress. MM was a linking mechanism between maternal PTS symptoms and parenting stress.