History Of Psychological Trauma Research Articles

Trauma exposure and PTSD symptoms associate with violence in inner city civilians

Understanding whether a history of psychological trauma is associated with perpetrating aggressive and violent behavior is of critical importance to public health. This relationship is especially important to study within urban areas where violence is prevalent. In this paper we examined whether a history of trauma or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in inner city civilians was associated with violent behavior. Data were collected from over 1900 primary care patients at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. Childhood trauma history was assessed with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and adult trauma history with the Traumatic Events Inventory (TEI). PTSD symptoms were measured with the PTSD Symptom Scale (PSS) and violent behaviors were measured with the Behavior Questionnaire (BQ). Using these measures we studied violent behavior in the inner city and its association with childhood or adult trauma history or PTSD. Trauma, PTSD and violence were all prevalent in this at-risk urban cohort. Perpetrating interpersonal violence was associated with a history childhood and adult trauma history, and with PTSD symptoms and diagnosis. An association between violent behavior and PTSD diagnosis was maintained after controlling for other pertinent variables such as demographics and presence of depression. Our findings point to a dysregulation of aggressive and violent behavior that may be a consequence of trauma and PTSD. These data indicate that more effective PTSD screening and treatment may help to reduce urban violence.

Relations between depression and PTSB and perceived social support in female child victims of incest

Objective: This study investigated the association between psychological stress and perceived social support by examining the source of perceived social support (family, peers or teachers). Methods: Female victims of incest subjected to sexual abuse aged 9-18 years (n=31) and a control group consisting of age- and gender-matched girls with no history of psychological trauma were enrolled. All participants completed the Child Depression Inventory, Child Post-traumatic Stress Reaction Index and Perceived Social Support Scale-Revised. Results: The results showed that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression symptoms in victims of decreased significantly as perceived social support scores increased. Although the social support that incest victims perceived from families was significantly lower, perceived social support from families nevertheless significantly reduced symptoms of both depression and PTSD. No significant correlation was determined between perceived support from peers and psychological symptoms, while perceived social support from teachers reduced symptoms of PTSD. Discussion: Endeavors aimed at better understanding the interaction between sources of social support and psychological impact in incest experienced by children are important in terms of guiding preventive measures and treatment.

Compound risk: History of traumatic stress predicts posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and severity in sudden cardiac arrest survivors.

Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) survivors can develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) which is associated with worse clinical outcomes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and predictors of PTSD in a large sample of SCA survivors. Prior history of psychological trauma and the effects of repeated trauma exposure on subsequent PTSD and symptom severity after SCA were also explored. A retrospective, cross-sectional study of 188 SCA survivors from the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association patient registry completed an online questionnaire that included measures of PTSD, trauma history, sociodemographics, general health, and cardiac history. Sixty-three (36.2%) SCA survivors in this sample scored above the clinical cutoff for PTSD. Female gender, worse general health, and younger age predicted PTSD symptoms after SCA. Additionally, 50.2% of SCA survivors (n = 95) reported a history of trauma exposure and 25.4% (n = 48) of the total sample endorsed a traumatic stress response to a historic trauma. Results indicated that a traumatic stress response to a historic trauma was a stronger predictor of PTSD after SCA (odds ratio = 4.77) than all other variables in the model. PTSD symptoms are present in over one-third of SCA survivors. While demographic or health history variables predicted PTSD after SCA, a history of traumatic stress response to a previous trauma emerged as the strongest predictor of these symptoms. Routine assessment and interdisciplinary management are discussed as potential ways to expedite survivors' recovery and return to daily living.

Application of EMDR in the Treatment of Older People with a History of Psychical Trauma

There are many studies supporting the efficacy of trauma focused EMDR in the treatment of PTSD and other anxiety disorders. But most of them included only people younger than 70 years. Older people often suffer from intellectual decline. Been proved that EMDR is effective in people with intellectual impairment (Mevissen. L et all, 2012), but the people who participated in these studies did not relate to the older age group. Old people are often faced with loss, death of a spouse, friends, relatives. Inaddition, the known so-called 'domino effect' when a new trauma can reactivate old traumatic experiences, and the fact that older people inrelation to the characteristics of their memory can suddenly reactivate traumatic experiences related to the events of their youth. Explore the possibility of using EMDR in the treatment of elderly people with a history of psychological trauma. The study involved 26 women aged 70-85 years who received treatment in the in-patient department of our hospital. They had cognitive impairment from mild to moderate (for MoCA-test) and a history of psychological trauma. The Doctor used bilateral stimulation (mainly tapping) and 8-phase EMDR protocol, developed by F. Shapiro. All patients showed a decrease anxiety, improve sleep, and decrease in the number of somatic complaints. EMDR is highly effective in the elderly.

Psychological factors and complications in OOKP assessment and surgery

AbstractPurpose To highlight how psychological factors can complicate OOKP assessment , surgical outcome and adaptation to living with OOKP and to demonstrate how these issues can be addressed.Methods Single case studies will be used to illustrate the clinical presentation of psychological issues and how these may have impacted on medical progress and adjustment post surgery.Results Cases will illustrate how a previous psychological trauma history, mood disorder and identity issues can impact on physical, psychological and social adjustment to OOKP. The case studies will also illustrate interventions which addressed these.Conclusion For some patients ,the identification of psychological problems and their appropriate management is important for succesful outcome and adaptation in OOKP surgery.

Exploring the meaning of trauma in the South African Police Service: A systems psychodynamic perspective

Orientation: This study explores individual stories of trauma and their dissonance with the official, dominant discourse on trauma in the South African Police Service (SAPS) from a systems psychodynamic perspective.Research purpose: The purpose of the research was, firstly, to explore how trauma experienced by South African Police Service members is constructed or ‘talked about’ and made sense of. Questions and issues that are considered relevant to the primary purpose are: which aspects of the working environment do members consider to be the most stressful, traumatic and difficult to cope with, and what is the effect of the change and transition processes on members’ working experiences?Motivation for the study: The authors set out to explore the role of systems psychodynamics in the experience of trauma and stress in the SAPS.Research design, approach and method: Through this qualitative, explorative, social phenomenological study, contributing circumstances and processes are included as additional discourses in an attempt to deepen understanding. The epistemology viewpoint of the study is found in the social constructionism and the data comprise 15 essays by members of the SAPS, all of which have been analysed from the perspective of systems psychodynamics.Main findings: Although the effect of trauma on police officers can never be negated, the way in which they deal with trauma seems to be different from what was initially believed. Further, their experience of stress is not solely the result of traumatic experiences but rather the result of traumatic experiences and systems psychodynamics operating within their organisation – which includes both organisational stressors or dynamics and transformation dynamics.Practical/managerial implications: The history of psychological trauma indicates that constructions of traumatic stress are strongly related to cultural, social and political circumstances. Current psychoanalytic thinking emphasises the meaning of the real occurrence, which causes trauma by changing the person’s experience of the self in relation to self-objects. Practical implications are the loss of the supportive subculture of the police, the loss of masculinity, as well as the loss of the power to be competent and meaningful. Furthermore, feelings of being overwhelmed, powerless and helpless generate anxiety and may have a significant impact on officers’ self-esteem and impede their feelings of omnipotence and invulnerability, which are necessary to cope in the policing environment.Contribution/value-add: The current study found various traumatic and systemspsychodynamic factors and processes to be anxiety-provoking as a result of exposure to trauma. Without a supportive social group the anxiety becomes uncontained and unmanageable.

Traumatic reactions from antiquity to the 16th century: was there a common denominator?

AbstractThe history of psychological trauma is neglected in the psychiatric literature in comparison with other mental diseases. Most mental disorders have a long documented history (e.g. depressive disorders and anxiety disorders), and boast scores of medical sources since ancient times. Although scarce, there is evidence of psychological trauma in historical, literal, mythical and medical manuscripts. These fragments provide us with hints of psychological trauma throughout human history, shedding a bit of light on the concept of psychological trauma. The author presents evidence of psychological trauma from antiquity to the Renaissance era. The paper has four parts. Each part corresponds to a different historical period. The four periods in human history are: antiquity, ancient Greece and Rome, the dark and medieval ages and the European Renaissance era until the 16th century. The author inquires as to why psychological trauma was neglected and remained obscure for centuries, and whether there was a common denominator of psychological trauma that is beyond culture, race, gender and time. The paper aimed to address these inquires. In conclusion, these aspects in the history of psychological trauma are of scholastic and practical importance, and may also contribute to the broader understanding of modern psychotraumatology. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The Empire of Trauma: An Inquiry into the Condition of Victimhood

The Empire of Trauma: An Inquiry into the Condition of Victimhood

Utility of the Trauma Symptom Inventory for the Assessment of Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms in Veterans With a History of Psychological Trauma and/or Brain Injury

Correspondence of three core Trauma Symptom Inventory (TSI) posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) scales (Intrusive Experiences, Defensive Avoidance, and Anxious Arousal) and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders (SCID-IV) PTSD module were examined among 72 veterans with traumatic brain injury (TBI), PTSD, or both conditions. Subjects were classified into PTSD only, TBI only, or co-occurring PTSD and TBI groups based on TBI assessment and SCID-IV PTSD diagnosis. Linear regression was used to model TSI T-Scores as a function of group. Scores on all three scales significantly differed between the TBI and PTSD groups (PTSD only and co-occurring PTSD and TBI) in the expected direction. Study findings indicate that despite the potential overlap of symptoms between PTSD and TBI, the TSI appears to be a useful measure of trauma-related symptoms in veterans who may also have a TBI, particularly mild TBI. Limitations and areas for future research are discussed.

ADHD and posttraumatic stress disorder

Children and adults diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at elevated risk for exposure to psychological trauma but not for the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). ADHD and PTSD may co-occur in children and adults. This article summarizes evidence of the phenomenologic, diagnostic, and neurobiologic independence of these two disorders. Assessment of ADHD should include screening for psychological trauma history and PTSD. When comorbidity occurs, treatment of ADHD may also help to ameliorate PTSD. In addition, PTSD treatment may augment ADHD treatment by reducing anxiety and stress-reactivity (which can exacerbate ADHD) by contributing indirectly to inattention or impulsivity. Individualized treatment planning is necessary for each case of comorbid ADHD and PTSD until combined or sequential interventions are validated.

Effects of a cognitive stress challenge on myocardial perfusion and plasma cortisol in coronary heart disease patients with depression.

Although it is well established that coronary heart disease (CHD) patients with depression exhibit increased mortality compared with equally ill cardiac patients without depression, the mechanisms mediating this effect remain obscure. Depression is characterized by vulnerability to stress and heightened stress responsiveness, and stress can theoretically act through several biological pathways to contribute to excess mortality from CHD. Mechanisms connecting stress, depression and cardiovascular mortality have not been previously explored in detail. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of stress and depression on myocardial perfusion and plasma cortisol concentrations in CHD patients. Patients with CHD with and without depression (n = 28) underwent single photon emission computed tomography imaging of myocardial perfusion at rest and during a stressful cognitive challenge. Severity of ischaemia was measured by summing perfusion defect scores across myocardial segments and subtracting out rest from stress scores. Plasma cortisol concentrations were measured at baseline and in response to the stressful challenge. There were no differences in stress-induced myocardial ischaemia or plasma cortisol response to stress between CHD patients with and without depression. Depressed CHD patients with a history of psychological trauma (n = 5) had an increase in stress-induced ischaemia scores [7; standard deviation (SD) = 5] compared with CHD patients with depression without a history of psychological trauma (2 SD = 2) and CHD patients without depression or psychological trauma (1; SD = 2) (F = 8.51; degree of freedom = 2,23; p = 0.007). Eighty per cent of CHD/depression trauma-exposed subjects had stress-induced ischaemia as opposed to 38 per cent of CHD/depression subjects without trauma exposure and 23 per cent of subjects with CHD without depression or trauma. Self-reported nervousness during the cognitive stressor was correlated with stress-induced ischaemia. These preliminary findings suggest that depression with a history of prior exposure to traumatic stress is associated with increased risk for stress-induced cardiovascular ischaemia.

Impact of september 11 World Trade Center disaster on children and pregnant women

Children are uniquely sensitive to toxic exposures in the environment. This sensitivity reflects children's disproportionately heavy exposures coupled with the biologic vulnerability that is a consequence of their passage through the complex transitions of early development. To assess effects on children's health associated with the attacks on the World Trade Center (WTC) of September 11, 2001, research teams at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and other academic health centers in New York City launched a series of clinical and epidemiologic studies. Mount Sinai investigators undertook a prospective analysis of pregnancy outcomes in 182 women who were pregnant on September 11, 2001, and who had been either inside or within 0.5 miles of the WTC at the time of the attacks; they found a doubling in incidence of intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) among infants born to exposed mothers as compared to infants born to unexposed women in northern Manhattan. A Columbia research team examined pregnancy outcomes in 329 women who lived, worked or gave birth in lower Manhattan in the 9 months after September 11; they found that these women gave birth to infants with significantly lower birth weight and shorter length than women living at greater distances from Ground Zero. NYU investigators documented increased numbers of new asthma cases and aggravations of preexisting asthma in children living in lower Manhattan. Mount Sinai mental health researchers documented a significant increase in mental health problems in children who directly witnessed the attacks and subsequent traumatic events; these problems were most severe in children with a past history of psychological trauma. The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene established a WTC Registry that has enrolled over 70,000 persons of all ages in lower Manhattan and will follow the health of these populations to document on a continuing basis the health consequences of September 11.

Traumatic victimization, posttraumatic stress disorder, suicidal ideation, and substance abuse risk among juvenile justice-involved youth

Psychological trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are prevalent among youth involved in the juvenile justice system. However, the impact on functioning and risky behavior of different forms of psychological trauma in this population is not known. In a sample of 264 youth (73% boys) ages 10–17 years old admitted within the prior 24–72 hours to pretrial juvenile detention centers, 61% reported a history of psychological trauma. Physical abuse, domestic violence, and traumatic neglect were independently associated with suicide ideation and drug and alcohol abuse risk. Findings suggest that education and treatment models are needed to address the impact of victimization, neglect, loss, and accidental trauma on health risks such as suicidality and substance abuse among juvenile justice-involved youth.

High Prevalence Rates of Diabetes and Hypertension Among Refugee Psychiatric Patients

There is increasing evidence that immigrants and traumatized individuals have elevated prevalence of medical disease. This study focuses on 459 Vietnamese, Cambodian, Somali, and Bosnian refugee psychiatric patients to determine the prevalence of hypertension and diabetes. The prevalence of hypertension was 42% and of diabetes was 15.5%. This was significantly higher than the US norms, especially in the groups younger than 65. Diabetes and hypertension were higher in the high-trauma versus low-trauma groups. However, in the subsample with body mass index (BMI) measurements subjected to logistic regression, only BMI was related to diabetes, and BMI and age were related to hypertension. Immigrant status, presence of psychiatric disorder, history of psychological trauma, and obesity probably all contributed to the high prevalence rate. With 2.5 million refugees in the country, there is a strong public health concern for cardiovascular disease in this group.

Predictors of back pain in a general population cohort.

The study used longitudinal data from the first and second cycles (1994-1995 and 1996-1997) of the Canadian National Population Health Survey. Our objective was to derive prediction models for back pain in the general male and female household populations. Little is known about the predictors of back pain in the general population. Most previous studies focused on specific occupational groups and used a cross-sectional or case-control design. The study cohort consisted of all respondents aged 18+ years who reported no back problems in the 1994-1995 National Population Health Survey cycle (N = 11,063). Potential predictors of chronic back pain were classified into nine groups and entered into stepwise logistic regression models. Bootstrap methods were used to derive the final models and assess their predictive power. The overall incidence of back pain was 44.7 per 1,000 person-years and was higher in women (47.0 per 1,000 person-years) compared with men (42.2 per 1,000 person-years). In men, significant predictors of back pain were age (peak effect in 45-64 years), height, self-rated health, usual pattern of activity (especially heavy work), yard work or gardening (negative association), and general chronic stress. In women, significant factors were self-reported restrictions in activity, being diagnosed with arthritis, personal stress, and history of psychological trauma in childhood or adolescence. Overall health and psychosocial factors are important predictors of back pain in both men and women. Other risk factors differ between the two sexes.

Psychological Debriefing: Theory, Practice and Evidence Edited by Beverley Raphael & John P. Wilson. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 2000. 376 pp. £37.95 (pb). ISBN 0 521 64700 2

Psychological Debriefing: Theory, Practice and Evidence Edited by Beverley Raphael & John P. Wilson. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 2000. 376 pp. £37.95 (pb). ISBN 0 521 64700 2 - Volume 179 Issue 6

Psychological factors in the prediction of Lyme disease course.

To determine whether history of severe, long-term, premorbid, psychological stress is associated with increased incidence of chronic physical symptoms in presumed Lyme disease patients. Fifty-seven patients presenting at Lyme Disease Clinic of Long Island Jewish-Hillside Medical Center were studied for presenting symptoms, presence or absence of Lyme disease, and past history of psychological trauma. They were restudied 1 to 1.5 years later for presence or absence of physical symptoms. Statistical analyses compared symptom course for patients with and without Lyme disease, antibiotic and nonantibiotic treatments, and past history of psychological trauma. There was correlation between history of past traumatic psychological events and chronicity of physical symptoms whether or not the patient had presumed Lyme disease or had received antibiotic treatment. Traumatic psychological experiences predating onset of Lyme disease symptoms may play an important etiologic role in the chronicity of these symptoms.

Correlates of crack abuse among drug-using incarcerated women: psychological trauma, social support, and coping behavior.

This investigation examines the relationship between psychological trauma and crack abuse among 158 women with a recent history of drug use who were incarcerated in a New York City jail facility. Interviewers obtained data on demographics, drug use, psychological trauma history, criminal history, social support, and coping behavior variables. Three-fourths of the total sample had used crack three or more times a week for a month in the past; a quarter had used other drugs, predominantly heroin, three or more times a week for a month in the past. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between adult psychological trauma variables (loss of custody of youngest child and lived in streets prior to arrest) and regular crack use in three sequential models. After adjusting for social support, coping behavior, demographics, and criminal history variables, women who had lost custody of their youngest child were 3.3 times more likely to be regular crack uses. Women who demonstrated more negative coping behavior and perceived themselves as having less emotional support were also more likely to be regular crack users. The association between childhood traumas (i.e., childhood sexual abuse, childhood physical abuse, parental alcohol abuse) and regular crack use was also assessed using multiple logistic regression; however, no significant associations were found between these childhood psychological traumas and regular crack use in both the unadjusted and adjusted models. Study findings underscore the importance of assessing environmental, interpersonal, and intrapersonal factors in tailoring treatment strategies for users of crack and other drugs.

The drug treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder

Many individuals with a history of psychological trauma continue to react to current life stresses as a recurrence of the original trauma, even though they rarely make a conscious connection between present distress and past trauma. Their hyperreactivity, reliving experiences, and difficulty in modulating the intensity of their anxiety, aggression and interpersonal attachments are sources of continuing stress to both themselves and their environment. Pharmacological treatments are often necessary to blunt the intensity of their response to subsequent stressors. Our knowledge about the drug treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is still very limited. Existing reports are pretty much limited to one particular population with chronic PTSD: Vietnam veterans. Even less is known about effective pharmacological management of acute PTSD. While many psychotropic agents have been proposed for the treatment of various symptoms of PTSD, carefully controlled studies are lacking to clarify the relative merits of particular psychotropic agents on the various post-traumatic symptoms. Impressions in open studies have utilized global ratings, rather than studied the effects on specific symptoms. The animal model of inescapable shock provides a good model for understanding the biological alterations produced by overwhelming trauma, and suggests a variety of pharmacological treatment interventions. Elucidation of traumatic childhood antecedents of certain forms of adult psychopathology will provide clearer links between existing knowledge about effective pharmacological management and the treatment of post-traumatic states.