Study Of Psychological Trauma Research Articles

Marginal structural models for estimating the longitudinal effects of community violence exposure on youths' internalizing and externalizing symptoms.

Longitudinal observational data pose a challenge for causal inference when the exposure of interest varies over time alongside time-dependent confounders, which often occurs in trauma research. We describe marginal structural models (MSMs) using inverse probability weighting as a useful solution under several assumptions that are well-suited to estimating causal effects in trauma research. We illustrate the application of MSMs by estimating the joint effects of community violence exposure across time on youths' internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Our sample included 4,327 youth (50% female, 50% male; 1.4% Asian American or Pacific Islander, 34.7% Black, 46.9% Hispanic, .8% Native American, 14.3%, White, 1.5%, Other race/ethnicity; Mage at baseline = 8.62, range = 3-15) from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods. Wave 3 internalizing symptoms increased linearly with increases in Wave 2 and Wave 3 community violence exposure, whereas effects on externalizing symptoms were quadratic for Wave 2 community violence exposure and linear for Wave 3. These results fail to provide support for the desensitization model of community violence exposure. MSMs are a useful tool for researchers who rely on longitudinal observational data to estimate causal effects of time-varying exposures, as is often the case in the study of psychological trauma. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Reflections of Postcolonial Trauma in Lisa Ko’s The Leavers

The term "trauma" is used to describe ambiguous and long-term harms. The study of psychological trauma has led to the creative representation of literary trauma. Even though the cultural trauma theory is increasingly criticized as being unsuitable for the research agenda of postcolonial studies, the diversity and expanding number of responses to it in postcolonial criticism show the theory's continued appeal. The key question in the discussion of trauma theory and postcolonial literary studies is still whether trauma theory can be successfully "postcolonized" in the sense of being usefully combined with postcolonial theory. Maybe this is one of the unique abilities of literary criticism: to develop the capacity to recognize connections that we were previously unaware of. The search shows the significance of finding closure to transcend past ordeals. The search is an analytical study of Lisa Ko’s novel Leavers. It gives a brief background to the novel and the novelist which displays in what way the novel tackles postcolonial trauma. The main two characters who suffer trauma show the possibility of trauma recovery by achieving their closures. The novel succeeds in depicting trauma and achieving recovery through the main character’s pursuit to find his closure. The study also demonstrates that despite the multiplicity of traumatic causatives, victims have significant symptoms, and their lives and destiny are contingent on their abilities to achieve closure.

A practical guide to random-effects Bayesian meta-analyses with application to the psychological trauma and suicide literature.

Bayesian meta-analyses offer several advantages over traditional approaches, including improved accuracy when using a small number of studies and enhanced estimation of heterogeneity. However, psychological trauma research has yet to see widespread adoption of these statistical methods, potentially due to researchers' unfamiliarity with the processes involved. The purpose of this article is to provide a practical tutorial for conducting random-effects Bayesian meta-analyses. Explanations and recommendations are provided for completing the primary steps of a Bayesian meta-analysis, ranging from model specification to interpretation of results. Furthermore, an illustrative example is used to demonstrate the application of each step. In the example, results are synthesized from six studies included in a previously published systematic review (Holliday et al., 2020), with a combined sample size of 21,244,109, examining the association between posttraumatic stress disorder and risk of suicide in veterans and military personnel. The posterior distributions for each model estimate, such as the pooled effect size and the heterogeneity parameter, are discussed and interpreted with regard to the probability of increased suicide risk. Our hope is that this tutorial, along with the provided data and code, facilitate the use of Bayesian meta-analyses in the study of psychological trauma. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Supplemental Material for Applying Bayesian Statistics to the Study of Psychological Trauma: A Suggestion for Future Research

Supplemental Material for Applying Bayesian Statistics to the Study of Psychological Trauma: A Suggestion for Future Research

Violence Survivors With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Treatment by Integrating Existential and Narrative Therapies

The author proposes the addition of narrative and existential therapies to current empirically based treatments for victims of interpersonal violence who are experiencing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A brief history of PTSD, current diagnostic criteria, and cultural influences in relation to this disorder are addressed. ********** The breadth of interpersonal violence is continuously expanding. According to Broman-Fulks et al. (2006), epidemiological studies estimated that between 50% and 70% of individuals in the United States have experienced some form of interpersonal violence during their lifetime. Interpersonal violence and trauma are exceedingly complex phenomena that have cultural, social, political, and psychological implications (Carlson, 2005; De Silva, 1993; Goto & Wilson, 2003). One constant commonly associated with interpersonal violence is the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among survivors of such violence (Phillips, Rosen, Zoellner, & Feeny, 2006). The complexity of working with survivors of interpersonal violence who are experiencing PTSD makes it imperative for clinicians to provide holistic treatment that attends to all of these layers. In this article, I propose an integration of existential and narrative therapies with current evidence-supported approaches to treating the aforementioned population. First, I briefly define interpersonal violence, then provide a history and review of the diagnostic criteria for PTSD, which frequently results from such crimes. I then address cultural influences that could have an impact on diagnosis and treatment, followed by current treatments within the mental health field. Finally, I review the essential components of existential and narrative approaches and conclude with a discussion of how a combination of these treatment modalities could be beneficial for counselors in their work with survivors of interpersonal violence. INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE Interpersonal violence is defined here as an encounter that threatens or manifests bodily or emotional harm (Gore-Felton, Gill, Koopman, & Spiegel, 1999, p. 294). There are various forms of interpersonal violence, for example, sexual assault, domestic violence, executions, emotional abuse of children and spouses, terrorist attacks, mass shootings, torture, and other forms of homicide. The diffusion of impact can range from a single victim of assault to thousands affected by a mass shooting. Unfortunately, interpersonal violence is becoming a more common occurrence across the United States (Gore-Felton et al., 1999). In 2002, an estimated 1.6 million people across the globe died from self-inflicted, interpersonal, or communal violence. Of these, one third were homicide victims, and about 170,000 died as a direct result of mass violence (World Health Organization, 2007). The disruptive effects of interpersonal violence can be a determinant of mental health (Satcher, Friel, & Bell, 2007). Because of the growing evidence of such violence, it is important to understand the psychological consequences of it (Gore-Felton et al., 1999). PTSD History PTSD is a relatively new diagnostic category, although pathological responses to stressful events have been acknowledged in various contexts for decades (De Silva, 1993). The study of psychological trauma has been chronically forgotten because it provokes powerful controversy and requires one to encounter the essence of human vulnerability and villainy (J. Herman, 1997). It has been postulated that the conception of this disorder was in the late 19th century and was originally referred to as hysteria. At the time, most physicians considered hysteria to be a disease proper to women and originating in the uterus (Sgroi, as cited in J. Herman, 1997, p. 10). French neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot was one of the founding scientists to study the controversial disorder. Through various case studies, Charcot was able to demonstrate that the root of hysterical symptoms was psychological (J. …

About this issue: Diversity and convergence in the study of psychological trauma.

About this issue: Diversity and convergence in the study of psychological trauma.

Hurt Feelings

Beginning with a historical examination of the definition and study of psychological trauma, this article places trauma and abuse within a relational theoretical context to explore new understandings that can arise from this framework. Working within this framework and stressing the power of cultural narratives, the paper highlights the delegitimization of emotions and emotional pain and explores the ways in which a widespread failure of empathy contributes to a lack of understanding with regard to the validity of emotional trauma. The paper suggests that because evidence of suffering must often be in a physical form, mirroring early understandings of the causes of trauma, the tendency to rely on the courts for direction only serves to further undermine the credibility of emotional pain.

Feminist Psychopharmacology

What is feminist psychopharmacology and why do we need it? Numerous issues related to gender come to mind. Gender bias can be seen in medical research, medical training, psychiatric diagnoses, and prescription practices. A feminist psychiatrist attends to these biases. In addition, a feminist practitioners uses the principles of feminism and feminist therapy in all aspects of her work. This includes an understanding of the history of the study of women's psychology, the study of psychological trauma, the newer models of women's development and psychology, and societal and cultural incluences on these. These are all relevant in addressing the transference and countertransference issues that arise in the evaluation for and prescription of medications. The feminist psychiatrist will be aware of these issues, and will collaborate with the client, using empathy, respect, validation, and empowerment as important principles.

Post‐traumatic stress disorder

AbstractDevelopments in the study of psychological trauma are briefly charted, prior to the inclusion of the stressor‐generic diagnostic category of ‘post‐traumatic stress disorder’ (PTSD) in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM‐III). Against the context of the assumptions underlying the DSM‐III classification system, evidence relating to the general validity of the PTSD diagnostic criteria is examined. Progress in the development of assessment techniques and psychotherapeutic procedures is reviewed. and proposals for refinement and revision of the diagnostic category are considered.