Posttraumatic Anxiety Research Articles

Diagnostics of COVID-19 Post-Traumatic Anxiety in Students

Post-traumatic anxiety COVID-19 is a state of students after experiencing a pandemic. Post-traumatic anxiety is classified and analyzed based on physical symptoms, emotional symptoms, mental symptoms, behavioral symptoms, spiritual symptoms, and several statements containing conditions that are the condition of post-traumatic COVID-19 students. This study aims to know and find symptoms experienced by students regarding post-traumatic anxiety due to COVID-19. The method used in this study is to use the observation method through data collection by filling out a questionnaire. The sample for this research consisted of 68 students at Anaka State Elementary School, Kawalu sub-district, Tasikmalaya city, Indonesia. Based on the observation results, data was obtained with the most dominant physical symptoms being dizziness, the most dominant emotional symptoms being feeling shaken, the most predominant mental symptoms being forgetfulness, the most dominant behavioral symptoms being crying, and the most dominant spiritual symptoms being grumbling. This research contributes as an overview for teachers and prospective teachers about the condition of students post-COVID and recommends strengthening psychology education to overcome this problem.

DETERMINING THE LEVELS OF ANXIETY, DEPRESSION AND SELF-CONFIDENCE THROUGH DRAWINGS OF CHILDREN AFFECTED BY THE EARTHQUAKE

The aim of this research is to identify behavioral disorders such as post-traumatic anxiety, depression, and self-confidence in their emotional world through the pictures of children who experienced the earthquake. For this purpose, the images of 34 children between the ages of 7 and 9 who experienced the earthquake disaster in Izmir, Türkiye in 2020, were analyzed. In the research, the one-subject research design was used among the experimental designs, which is one of the quantitative research methods. Mann-Whitney U test was used to determine whether there was a significant difference in the analysis of the data. According to the findings of the study, it was concluded that children reflected mental health variables such as their depressive levels, self-esteem levels, and anxiety states with the pictures they drew. The scores obtained from the sub-dimensions of anxiety, depression, and self-confidence in the children's drawings evaluated through the scale were higher in the preliminary drawings immediately after the earthquake compared to the final drawings made three months later. It is understood that this finding caused the high scores of the preliminary drawings because they were made right after the earthquake. This situation revealed that the prepared scale was valid and reliable.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0582/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

GABAergic circuits of the basolateral amygdala and generation of anxiety after traumatic brain injury.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) has reached epidemic proportions around the world and is a major public health concern in the United States. Approximately 2.8 million individuals sustain a traumatic brain injury and are treated in an Emergency Department yearly in the U.S., and about 50,000 of them die. Persistent symptoms develop in 10-15% of the cases including neuropsychiatric disorders. Anxiety is the second most common neuropsychiatric disorder that develops in those with persistent neuropsychiatric symptoms after TBI. Abnormalities or atrophy in the temporal lobe has been shown in the overwhelming number of TBI cases. The basolateral amygdala (BLA), a temporal lobe structure that consolidates, stores and generates fear and anxiety-based behavioral outputs, is a critical brain region in the anxiety circuitry. In this review, we sought to capture studies that characterized the relationship between human post-traumatic anxiety and structural/functional alterations in the amygdala. We compared the human findings with results obtained with a reproducible mild TBI animal model that demonstrated a direct relationship between the alterations in the BLA and an anxiety-like phenotype. From this analysis, both preliminary insights, and gaps in knowledge, have emerged which may open new directions for the development of rational and more efficacious treatments.

Syndrome de détresse respiratoire aiguë (SDRA) : quel est le devenir à long terme de ces patients ?

In the last decades, improvements in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) management decreased in-hospital mortality. Most of the time, these young patients with ARDS suffer from post-intensive care syndrome (PICS) after discharge. The special features of PICS after ARDS include a similar global recovery for the most severe patients with ECMO, a good pulmonary function recovery but a high prevalence of physical and psychological dysfunction. Physical impairment concerns fatigue and fatigability. Half of the patients had cognitive impairment at one year and a third suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, or depression during the first year. These symptoms persist later, associated with a reduced quality of life. As a witness to global dysfunction, only 50 % of patients return to their original work at one year. Being aware of the long-term impact of ARDS is crucial for intensivists to set up a multi-disciplinary and individual follow-up after intensive care unit discharge.

Fecal Microbiota Transfer Attenuates Gut Dysbiosis and Functional Deficits After Traumatic Brain Injury.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an underrecognized public health threat. Survivors of TBI often suffer long-term neurocognitive deficits leading to the progressive onset of neurodegenerative disease. Recent data suggests that the gut-brain axis is complicit in this process. However, no study has specifically addressed whether fecal microbiota transfer (FMT) attenuates neurologic deficits after TBI. We hypothesized that fecal microbiota transfer would attenuate neurocognitive, anatomic, and pathologic deficits after TBI. C57Bl/6 mice were subjected to severe TBI (n = 20) or sham-injury (n = 20) via an open-head controlled cortical impact. Post-injury, this cohort of mice underwent weekly oral gavage with a slurry of healthy mouse stool or vehicle alone beginning 1 h post-TBI followed by behavioral testing and neuropathologic analysis. 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing of fecal samples was performed to characterize gut microbial community structure pre- and post-injury. Zero maze and open field testing were used to evaluate post-traumatic anxiety, exploratory behavior, and generalized activity. 3D, contrast enhanced, magnetic resonance imaging was used to determine differences in cortical volume loss and white matter connectivity. Prior to euthanasia, brains were harvested for neuropathologic analysis. Fecal microbiome analysis revealed a large variance between TBI, and sham animals treated with vehicle, while FMT treated TBI mice had restoration of gut dysbiosis back to levels of control mice. Neurocognitive testing demonstrated a rescue of normal anxiety-like and exploratory behavior in TBI mice treated with FMT. FMT treated TBI mice spent a greater percentage of time (22%, P = 0.0001) in the center regions of the Open Field as compared to vehicle treated TBI mice (13%). Vehicle-treated TBI animals also spent less time (19%) in the open areas of zero maze than FMT treated TBI mice (30%, P = 0.0001). Comparing in TBI mice treated with FMT, MRI demonstrated a marked attenuation in ventriculomegaly (P < 0.002) and a significant change in fractional anisotropy (i.e., loss of white matter connectivity) (P < 0.0001). Histologic analysis of brain sections revealed a FMT- injury dependent interaction in the microglia/macrophage-specific ionized calcium-binding protein, Iba1 (P = 0.002). These data suggest that restoring a pre-injury gut microbial community structure may be a promising therapeutic intervention after TBI.

0642 Characterizing Actigraphy-Measured Sleep Disturbance in Veterans and Service Members with Post-traumatic Headache following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Abstract Introduction Post-traumatic headache (PTH) frequently occur following traumatic brain injury (TBI) is particularly prevalent in Veterans with deployment-related TBI. PTH is associated with a range of physical and mental health symptoms, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, post-concussive symptoms, and subjective sleep complaints. Subjective sleep disturbance is associated with greater pain severity, and headaches (HA) are associated with poorer sleep. Poor sleep may be a mechanism by which PTH exerts both direct and indirect effects on health outcomes Despite the high prevalence of sleep problems in individuals with PTH, we know little about sleep disturbance in Veterans and military personnel with PTH. This study sought to characterize the relationship between objective sleep disturbance and HA in Veterans and military personnel with chronic PTH following mild TBI. Methods Veterans and active-duty service members (N=39, Mage= 49.4, 89.7% male) were included from a larger study evaluating prazosin as prophylactic treatment for persistent PTH. Participants completed baseline measures of PTSD symptoms, insomnia, sleep quality, HA frequency and impairment, as well as 7-day actigraphy, sleep diary, and HA logs. Actigraphy-derived sleep parameters include sleep onset latency (SOL), total sleep time (TST), sleep efficiency (SE), and wake after sleep onset (WASO). Daily HA logs were used to assess HA severity and duration. Analyses were conducted in SPSS 26.0 using multilevel modeling, controlling for the effects of time. Results Preliminary results suggest number of HA days at baseline was significantly associated with self-reported sleep quality (r=-.398, p= .016), but not with subjective SOL, TST, or WASO. Number of HA days was significantly correlated with actigraphy-measured WASO (r=.178, p=.003). Actigraphy-measured SOL, SE, WASO, and TST were not significantly associated with same-day HA severity and duration. Conclusion This preliminary data suggest examination of sleep fragmentation may be important in enhancing our understanding of PTH and related impairment. Findings support the importance of using both subjective and objective measures in the assessment of sleep in Veterans and service members with PTH. Support (If Any) This project was supported by a VA Career Development Award 5IK2RX001136 from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs Rehabilitation Research and Development Service. The contents of this work do not represent the views of the Department of Veterans Affairs or the United States government.

Decreased Interhemispheric Functional Connectivity and Its Associations with Clinical Correlates following Traumatic Brain Injury.

Objective To explore the interhemispheric functional coordination following traumatic brain injury (TBI) and its association with posttraumatic anxiety and depressive symptoms. Methods This was a combination of a retrospective cohort study and a cross-sectional observational study. We investigated the functional coordination between hemispheres by voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC). Grey matter volumes were examined by voxel-based morphometry (VBM), and microstructural integrity of the corpus callosum (CC) was assessed by diffusion tension imaging (DTI). The anxiety and depressive symptoms were evaluated with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Results The VMHC values of the bilateral middle temporal gyrus (MTG) and orbital middle frontal gyrus (MFG) were significantly decreased in TBI patients versus the healthy controls. Weakened homotopic functional connectivity (FC) in the bilateral orbital MFG is moderate positively correlated with anxiety and depressive symptoms. The white matter integrity in the CC was extensively reduced in TBI patients. In the receiver operating characteristic analysis, the VMHC value of the orbital MFG could distinguish TBI from HC with an area under the curve of 0.939 (sensitivity of 1 and specificity of 0.867). Conclusion TBI disrupts the interhemispheric functional and structural connection, which is correlated with posttraumatic mood disorders. These findings may serve as a clinical indicator for diagnosis.

Structural and Functional Alterations of Substantia Nigra and Associations With Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms Following Traumatic Brain Injury.

BackgroundsAlthough there are a certain number of studies dedicated to the disturbances of the dopaminergic system induced by traumatic brain injury (TBI), the associations of abnormal dopaminergic systems with post-traumatic anxiety and depressive disorders and their underlying mechanisms have not been clarified yet. In the midbrain, dopaminergic neurons are mainly situated in the substantia nigra (SN) and the ventral tegmental area (VTA). Thus, we selected SN and VTA as regions of interest and performed a seed-based global correlation to evaluate the altered functional connectivity throughout the dopaminergic system post-TBI.MethodsThirty-three individuals with TBI and 21 healthy controls were recruited in the study. Anxiety and depressive symptoms were examined by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. All MRI data were collected using a Siemens Prisma 3.0 Tesla MRI system. The volume of SN and the global functional connectivity of the SN and VTA were analyzed.ResultsIn the present study, patients with TBI reported more anxiety and depressive symptoms. More importantly, some structural and functional alterations, such as smaller SN and reduced functional connectivity in the left SN, were seen in individuals with TBI. Patients with TBI had smaller substantia nigra on both right and left sides, and the left substantia nigra was relatively small in contrast with the right one. Among these findings, functional connectivity between left SN and left angular gyrus was positively associated with post-traumatic anxiety symptoms and negatively associated with depressive symptoms.ConclusionsThe TBI causes leftward lateralization of structural and functional alterations in the substantia nigra. An impaired mesocortical functional connectivity might be implicated in post-traumatic anxiety and depression.

Longitudinal study of age-related differences in the psychological impact of confinement as a consequence of Covid-19 in a Spanish sample

This research aims to analyze age-related differences in the psychological impact of the Covid-19 confinement situation in a Spanish sample. A longitudinal study (N= 1,041) was conducted through an online survey with two measurements: at two and five weeks after the declaration of the alarm state in Spain. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety and depressive symptoms, spiritual well-being and perceived loneliness were evaluated by screening tests. Means and their confidence intervals (95%) were calculated for all variables in the study, for the three age groups: 18-30, 31-59, 60-80. Linear mixed models with random slopes (Time nested to Subjects) were calculated for each variable. The results indicate that the psychological impact caused by the pandemic persists over time, and even increases in some of the variables studied. The older age group (60-80 years) shows the least impact and the greatest well-being. They presented less depressive, anxious and PTSD symptoms and less loneliness. These results may be explained by the greater resilience of this group to recover from adverse situations, in addition to having a greater number of coping strategies.

Anxiety as Major Cause of Back Pain in Post Covid -19 Affected Individuals –from Practitioner’s View

Anxiety is usually transient in nature, but if the symptoms are severe and persistent in the absence of stressor, then it is considered as anxiety disorder. Medical health practitioners have been connected with the patients and hence can better speculate the psychology of human beings. The present study was designed to find out the manifestation of anxiety as repercussion of back pain in the post COVID scenario examined in the setup of a medical practitioner. A survey was conducted among the medical practitioners from India to find out the possibility of anxiety as after-effect of back pain post COVID-19 through questionnaires. Results of the study showed that 95% of patients were in the view to have chances of anxiety with more possibility to have social anxiety and post-traumatic stress anxiety disorder as a consequence of COVID-19. Female and male genders have equal chances, whereas transgender have lesser chances to have anxiety disorders as a consequence of COVID-19. Population above 50 years age might have maximum chance of having anxiety as after-effect of COVID-19. The study concludes to have chances of anxiety as repercussion of COVID-19

Posttraumatic Treatment Interventions for Refugee Children Residing in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region: A Brief Review

ABSTRACT Despite the tremendous burden of refugees on regional and global health care financial systems, the current tools set into place to deal with the worsening conditions of asylum seekers have failed to address the significant challenges facing the Middle East, which in turn affected the capability of host countries to provide the necessary care for incoming population groups. One of the main health risks refugees in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region suffer from is mental health disorders, mainly posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety. Due to the limited accessibility of mental health services and the shortage of mental health professionals in host communities, refugees end up neglecting their conditions and subsequent consequences, which result in a long-term social, psychological, and economic impact. The following scoping review aims to evaluate PTSD interventions implemented for refugee children in developing nations within the MENA region. The York methodology was used to ensure transparency, enable replication of the search strategy, and increase the reliability of study findings. The results indicate that several strategies such as art therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, digital-based educational games, writing for recovery, group theraplay, and profound stress attunement framework deemed effective in decreasing PTSD symptoms on a short-term basis. However, future interventions should apply more sustainable strategies to help refugee children in the long-term management of the chronic mental illness. Additional research regarding this topic is needed in the MENA region.

Psychiatry of disasters

Two types of disasters – natural and, respectively, generated by humans – have been involved in psychiatric morbidity. Generally, the disasters generated by humans lead more frequently to persistent symptoms and psychiatric disorders. The severity of disaster agents and the degree of individual or population exposure to the disaster are considered predictors of psychiatric morbidity. Gender is a strong predictor of post-traumatic anxiety and de­pres­­sive disorders. A second robust predictor of disaster men­tal health outcomes in individuals is represented by pre­exis­ting psychiatric disorders. Other but less consistent predictors of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after disasters include age, education and socioeconomic sta­tus. The disasters most frequently associated with de­tri­men­tal consequences were those with an increased level of community destruction and those from developing coun­tries with lower socioeconomic status. Supportive group interventions are recommended in the first days after the trauma. There is no consistent evidence regarding the ef­fec­tive­ness of early psychopharmacological approaches. Me­dica­tion is recommended for symptoms’ im­prove­ment, especially in severe psychiatric symptoms that sig­ni­fi­cantly impair functioning. Cognitive-behavioral short-term interventions in the first two weeks after trau­ma, focused on education, anxiety management trai­ning, imaginary and in vivo exposure therapy and in cognitive restructuring, proved the most effective.

Improving the Quality of Life towards Healing Long Haul Symptoms of COVID- 19 Survivors through Online Video Booklets and Gymnastics and Education

Background: COVID-19 is a global pandemic health problem that is getting a lot of attention around the world today. It is a serious illness that can significantly affect the daily lives of patients and their families in terms of mental health problems, such as post-traumatic stress, depression, anxiety, and insomnia, as well as negatively impacting the quality of patients. Purpose: This study aims to determine the impact of long haulers on the quality of life of COVID-19 survivors in East Java, Indonesia. Methods: Researchers conduct detailed the solution to overcome the problem by using educational videos and sports or routine gymnastics to change the attitude of COVID-19 survivors towards long haul healing is done through the distribution of the two facilities via the google drive link. The drafting team has 2 program plans as a solution to the problems carried out. Results: The prevalence of COVID-19 survivors with long haulers was slightly higher than that of non-long haulers. The results of the knowledge and attitude scores on the pre-test and post-test after viewing the media booklet and educational video showed a significant difference and improvement of quality of life in the result. Conclusion: The level of knowledge, attitudes, and quality of life including the physical health of long haul COVID-19 survivors in East Java experienced a significant increase after being given counseling through online booklets andeducational videos.

The Latest Treatment Interventions Improving Mental Health Outcomes for Women, Following Gender-Based Violence in Low-and-Middle-Income Countries: A Mini Review.

Gender-based violence (GBV), specifically violence against women, is a worldwide pandemic. Prevalence is further escalated in low-and-middle-income countries and in humanitarian crises. Survivors are left with a combination of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety. These mental health disorders lead to further morbidity and mortality. Despite its high prevalence and co-morbidities, gender disparities and mental health stigma globally lead to few interventions developed for this population. The aim of this review is to highlight the mental health interventions developed in the past 5 years, for women following GBV in low-and-middle-income countries. It aims to discuss their efficacy and controversies when implemented into healthcare systems, understand the gaps that remain in the field and suggest future research developments. A thorough literature search revealed 16 new interventions available for improving mental health outcomes for women following GBV in low-and-middle-income countries. Following an in-depth evaluation of the papers, one intervention was successful in effectively implementing treatment into healthcare systems—“PM+.” However, it proved only to be effective in the short term. Further research must be done for improving long-term mental health outcomes. Results demonstrated poor follow-up for women engaging in group therapy. The review also highlights community workers were used in service delivery to reduce barriers accessing care. No interventions proved effective in humanitarian crises, despite GBV escalated in these settings. There are very few interventions available in comparison to the prevalence of this global health issue. Therefore, this review encourages further research and improvements in mental healthcare interventions following GBV.

Effects of SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic on the Mental Health of Spanish Ob-Gyn Specialists-A Nationwide Study.

It has been reported that frontline health professionals have suffered from an increased rate of mental disorders as a consequence of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Objective: This study aims to evaluate the impact of the pandemic on the mental health of Spanish specialists in the obstetrics and gynecology fields after the fifth Spanish COVID-19 wave. Methods: Psychometric screening of the professionals was performed using a nationwide online survey designed by the Psychosocial Obstetrics and Gynecology taskforce. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and general anxiety disorder were screened. Results: We found high scores for PTSD, depression, and generalized anxiety disorder. Up to 12.4% of specialists met the PTSD criteria, 12.8% showed complex PTSD, 37% showed depression, and up to 37% had a positive screening for generalized anxiety disorder. Our results showed that the pandemic has particularly affected the group of female Ob-Gyn specialists, with significant higher scores in depression and anxiety scales. Conclusions: As a lesson learned for the future in case of new health emergencies, it would be very important to provide professionals with adequate psychological support, ensuring enough human and material resources, flexible work shifts, and facilities to reconcile work and family-life, especially in the case of female specialists.

Exploring Police-Initiated Post-Traumatic Stress Symptomatology, Depression, and Anxiety Using Factor Analysis

ABSTRACT Purpose Research suggests that police encounters can be a traumatic experience for youth. These experiences may result in trauma symptomatology and co-occurring mental health issues like depression and anxiety. However, studies exploring the relationships between trauma symptomatology, depression and anxiety do not typically focus on trauma that is rooted in experiences with the police. The present study utilizes exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis to examine the relationships among police-initiated post-traumatic stress symptoms, depression and anxiety. Method Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis examines the factor structure of police-initiated post-traumatic stress symptoms, depression and anxiety. Results Results suggest that police-initiated post-traumatic stress symptomatology is two factors that are distinguishable from anxiety and depression. Discussion Our findings highlight the need to develop methods of disentangling the relationships between police-initiated post-traumatic stress symptomatology and co-occurring mental health symptoms, and advocating for policies and practices that can reduce negative police-youth interactions.

Psychological responses and associated factors during the initial stage of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic among the adult population in Poland - a cross-sectional study

IntroductionThe study aimed to assess the emotional state, the occurrence of symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress, as well as the quality of life of adults living in Poland during the first weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodThe study was conducted on a group of 700 people aged 18 and over living in Poland. An anonymous online questionnaire was used in this cross-sectional study. The psychological impact of COVID-19 was measured using the Revised Event Impact Scale (IES-R) and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS - 21). The quality of life was assessed using the WHOQOL-BREF.ResultsIn Poland, a high average level of post-traumatic stress was found as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, with at least the minimum level occurring in all surveyed people. There was also a high incidence of depression (48.00%), anxiety (39.29%), and stress (54.86) in the first phase of the pandemic. The average level of quality of life in Poland was the lowest for the physical domain and amounted to 49.56 (SD = 11.71). The standard of living in the psychological domain was 60.26 (SD = 13.14).ConclusionsThe pandemic is having a significant impact on human mental health. The very high average levels of post-traumatic stress, stress, anxiety, and depression as well as low quality of life make it necessary to consider interventions that will favor the use of more adaptive defense mechanisms and build mental resilience during an infectious disease pandemic and its long-term consequences.

A Laboratory-Based Investigation of Links between Maternal Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms and Adolescent Offspring Anxiety

SYNOPSIS Objective . Maternal symptoms of posttraumatic stress are linked to problematic offspring outcomes, including internalizing problems, general behavioral problems, and altered psychobiological functioning. Maternal posttraumatic stress symptoms among trauma-exposed mothers as they relate to offspring functioning has not been evaluated, and laboratory-based affect elicitation procedures have not been used in this context. Design . Self-report of trauma-relevant symptoms in 40 mothers and their adolescents’ self-report indices of adolescent anxiety symptoms were obtained. Adolescents were also administered a laboratory-based induction of socially relevant anxious arousal, and maternal and adolescent anxiety in response to the task were recorded. Results . Maternal posttraumatic avoidance symptoms were associated with questionnaire- and laboratory-based indicators of adolescent anxiety. Conclusions . Maternal posttraumatic avoidance symptoms are associated with offspring anxiety; therefore, providers working with mothers with posttraumatic avoidance should consider screening adolescent offspring for anxiety symptoms.

Embodiment-related risk factors for Posttraumatic Stress, Anxiety and Depression in female victims of intimate partner violence

ABSTRACT A central notion in the field of embodiment is that body sensorimotor processes and body mental representations influence emotion, cognition and behavior. By affecting the body, intimate partner violence (IPV) can leave victims with a fragile self, and significant physical and mental health problems. In this study, we aim to examine embodiment-related variables and mental health of female victims of IPV, as well as the impact of embodiment on mental health. A total of 38 female victims of IPV (mean age 40.3 ± 10.9 years) were recruited from shelters and the community. The study assessed the levels of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Anxiety and Depression, and abilities of Movement Imagery, Interoceptive Accuracy, Interoceptive Sensibility, Body Ownership and Bodily Dissociation. Univariate, bivariate and binary regression analysis were used. PTSD, Anxiety and Depression were highly prevalent among our sample, alongside with altered values of body ownership and interoception. All three mental health disorders were significantly correlated with interoceptive self-regulation, interoceptive trusting, and bodily dissociation. For this group of women, each unit rise in the bodily dissociation scale increased two and six times the risk for developing Depression and Anxiety, respectively. The embodiment of female victims of IPV is altered, and higher bodily dissociation can be a risk factor for the development of mental health problems. Restoration of embodiment-related functions could be important for the victims to overcome the negative effects of violent relationships.

A Pilot Trial of Universal School-Based Mental Health Screening in El Salvador: Traumatic Stress in an Underresourced School Environment.

Salvadoran youth have an elevated risk of trauma exposure and related mental health problems. However, investigations of childhood trauma exposure and mental health sequelae in El Salvador are limited. The present study aimed to (a) explore the prevalence of exposure to potentially traumatic events and symptoms of posttraumatic stress, anxiety, and depression and (b) evaluate the associations between specific trauma types and emotional functioning among Salvadoran youth. A total of 1,296 youth aged 8-21 years from seven public schools completed self-report measures of trauma exposure, posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), anxiety, and depression. Participants reported high levels of trauma exposure, endorsing an average of 3.62 (SD = 2.32) trauma types. In total, 34.5% of participants reported clinically elevated PTSS; fewer youths reported elevated depressive (8.7%) and anxiety symptoms (8.6%). Although boys reported exposure to more trauma types than girls, d = 0.22, girls were more likely to endorse elevated PTSS, V = .11; anxiety, V = .06; and depression, V = .10. Adolescents reported exposure to more trauma types than younger children, d = 0.23, and were more likely to endorse elevated PTSS, V = .07; anxiety, V = .13; and depression, V = .16. Undergoing a frightening medical procedure, OR = 2.30; female sex, OR = 1.92; witnessing domestic violence, OR = 1.70; and experiencing war between gangs, OR = 1.61, were strong predictors of elevated PTSS. This broad, school-based screening was a critical step toward better understanding the rate of trauma exposure and trauma-related symptoms among Salvadoran youth.