Incidence Of Post-traumatic Stress Symptoms Research Articles

The Incidence of Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms in Children.

To determine the incidence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and risk factors for their development in children and adolescents undergoing orthopaedic surgery for trauma. Prospective cohort study. Level-1 trauma center. Children (8 to 18), undergoing surgery for orthopaedic trauma. Upper and lower extremity surgery for orthopaedic trauma. PTSD symptoms at postoperative follow-up as determined by the Child PTSD Symptom Scale (CPSS). A total of 176 children with an average age at surgery of 13 years (8 to 18.8 years) participated in the study. Twenty-six subjects had high levels of PTSD symptoms (15%; 95% CI = 10.0 to 21.1%). Univariable and multivariable analyses determined that female sex (OR 2.63, 95% CI = 1.06 to 6.67, P = 0.04), older age at surgery (OR 1.25, 95% CI = 1.04 to 1.51, P = 0.02), and undergoing a previous surgery (OR 2.86, 95% CI = 1.06 to 7.73, P = 0.04) were all associated with increased PTSD risk. Children and adolescents experience a high level of PTSD symptoms (15%) after surgery for orthopaedic trauma. Clinicians should be aware of PTSD symptoms in children and adolescents after surgery for orthopaedic injuries and use comprehensive screening to facilitate timely intervention and treatment. II.

Prevalence of posttraumatic stress symptoms in health care workers after exposure to patients with COVID-19

ObjectiveTo investigate the prevalence of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) of health care workers (HCWs) who were potentially or directly exposed to patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in a non-core epidemic area of China. MethodsPsychological conditions were evaluated by the multiple psychological evaluation scales in HCWs at the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University in Xuzhou City (a non-core epidemic area in China) during COVID-19 epidemic. According to the risk of exposure to COVID-19 patients, HCWs were divided into two groups: HCWs with high-risk (HHCW) group (who worked in wards for COVID-19 patients) and HCWs with low-risk (LHCW) group (who worked in wards for non-COVID-19 patients in the same hospital). The clinical data of psychological evaluation scales from HCWs were collected. ResultsA total of 171 HCWs were recruited in this study, with 94 (55.0%) HCWs in the HHCW group, and 77 (45.0%) HCWs in the LHCW group. Significant differences were observed in gender, work stress, job risk, and levels of fear and anxiety, and the depression between the two groups (P < 0.05). The incidence of PTSS was 28.7% in HHCW group, while the incidence of PTSS was 13.0% in LHCW group. The PTSS between the two groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Further logistic regression analysis displayed that the exposure to COVID-19, work stress and coping strategies were major risk factors associated with PTSS. ConclusionsThis study demonstrated that HCWs in HHCW group had a higher chance of developing PTSS when compared with those in LHCW group. The HCWs who were exposed to COVID-19 patients had more stress and chronic stress-related disorders. Stress management should be provided to the first line HCWs who combat with COVID-19.

Validation of a Scale of Post-traumatic Stress Traits in the Mexican Youth Exposed to Social Violence

ABSTRACT There is a high incidence of post-traumatic stress symptoms found in youth groups that live in areas that suffer contextual violence. The validated scale, “scale of post-traumatic stress traits in youths exposed to social violence”, summarizes the individual symptomatic incidence, helping researchers and decision makers, interested in applied areas, to perform strategies for this particular population strata. The purpose of this study was to validate a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) scale from Colombia that has been used in people from cities with social violence, in two Mexican cities with the same problem of social violence. The sample included 792 participants, from the Mexican state of Chihuahua (Juarez and Chihuahua), with a mean age of 18.94 (SD = 1.51) years, aged 17 to 21. The sample was divided randomly into two subsamples to perform an exploratory factor analysis (EFA; n = 396), and a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA; n = 396). No statistically significant differences were found between both samples in socio-demographic variables. The scale had excellent internal reliability values. The items grouped in to five factors in the EFA, which were corroborated in the CFA, with acceptable factor loadings in both analyses. This PTSD scale has been validated using a Mexican sample and can be used to measure PTSD symptoms for research of clinical purposes in a Mexican population.

Posttraumatic stress, anxiety and depression following miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy: a multicenter, prospective, cohort study

Early pregnancy losses are common, but their psychologic sequelae are often overlooked. Previous studies have established links between miscarriage and early symptoms of anxiety and depression. However, the incidence of posttraumatic stress symptoms and the psychologic response specifically to ectopic pregnancies have not been investigated. The purpose of this study was to investigate levels of posttraumatic stress, depression, and anxiety in women in the 9 months after early pregnancy loss, with a focus on miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy. Morbidity at 1 month was compared with a control group in healthy pregnancy. This was a prospective cohort study. Consecutive women were recruited from the early pregnancy and antenatal clinics at 3 London hospitals and received emailed surveys that contained standardized psychologic assessments that included the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and Posttraumatic stress Diagnostic Scale, at 1, 3, and 9 months after loss. Control subjects were assessed after a dating scan. We assessed the proportion of participants who met the screening criteria for posttraumatic stress and moderate/severe anxiety or depression. We used logistic regression to calculate adjusted odds ratios. Seven hundred thirty-seven of 1098 women (67%) with early pregnancy loss (including 537 miscarriages and 116 ectopic pregnancies) and 171 of 187 control subjects (91%) agreed to participate. Four hundred ninety-two of the women with losses (67%) completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale after 1 month; 426 women (58%) completed it after 3 months, and 338 women (46%) completed it after 9 months. Eighty-seven control subjects (51%) participated. Criteria for posttraumatic stress were met in 29% of women with early pregnancy loss after 1 month and in 18% after 9 months (odds ratio per month, 0.80; 95% confidence interval, 0.72-0.89). Moderate/severe anxiety was reported in 24% after 1 month and in 17% after 9 months (odds ratio per month, 0.69; 95% confidence interval, 0.50-0.94). Moderate/severe depression was reported in 11% of the women after 1 month and 6% of the women after 9 months (odds ratio per month, 0.87; 95% confidence interval, 0.53-1.44). After miscarriage, proportions after 9 months were 16% for posttraumatic stress, 17% for anxiety, and 5% for depression. Corresponding figures after ectopic pregnancy were 21%, 23%, and 11%, respectively. In contrast, among control women with viable pregnancies, 13% reported moderate-to-severe anxiety (odds ratio loss at 1 month vs controls: 2.14; 95% confidence interval, 1.14-4.36), and 2% reported moderate-to-severe depression (odds ratio loss at 1 month vs control subjects: 3.88; 95% confidence interval, 1.27-19.2). Women experience high levels of posttraumatic stress, anxiety, and depression after early pregnancy loss. Distress declines over time but remains at clinically important levels at 9 months.

Applying a traumatic stress approach to understanding PCS following pediatric mild TBI

Pediatric traumatic brain injury is a significant public health concern affecting hundreds of thousands of children each year. The majority of children who sustain traumatic brain injuries are classified as having a mild traumatic brain injury, and a subset of these children go on to experience persistent physical, cognitive, and emotional symptoms. These symptoms, known as postconcussive symptoms, can endure for months and even years after injury. The outcomes of mild traumatic brain injury are variable and not well understood for a small percentage of children who experience persistent symptoms. The current article explores the potential influence of children’s posttraumatic stress symptoms on persistent postconcussive symptoms. Despite the high incidence of posttraumatic stress symptoms after pediatric accidental injury, they have not yet been identified as an important factor for consideration in the understanding of pediatric postconcussive outcomes. The article will review the literature on posttraumatic stress and postconcussive symptoms after pediatric injury and consider neurobiological and cognitive factors to propose a model explaining a pathway through which posttraumatic stress reactions may serve as the mechanism for the expression and maintenance of postconcussive symptoms after mild traumatic brain injury. The clinical implications for the proposed relationship between posttraumatic stress symptoms and postconcussive symptoms are considered prior to the conclusion of the article, which acknowledges limitations in the current literature and provides suggestions for future research.