Disorder Symptoms Research Articles

Postpartum anger among low-income women with high rates of trauma exposure.

Few studies have examined anger concerns among postpartum women despite their risk of mood dysregulation. This study examined the performance of the Dimensions of Anger Reactions-5 (DAR-5) scale, a brief screen for problematic anger, in a sample of 1,383 postpartum women in Wisconsin who received perinatal home visiting services. We aimed to analyze the discriminant validity and measurement invariance of the DAR-5, the occurrence of problematic anger symptoms and their co-occurrence with mental health concerns, and the association between elevated anger levels and exposure to potentially traumatic events in childhood and adulthood. Descriptive statistics for anger symptoms and their associations with depression, anxiety, and PTSD were calculated. Psychometric properties of the DAR-5 were assessed via confirmatory factor analyses, and associations between trauma exposure and anger were evaluated as bivariate and partial correlations. Approximately 21% of the sample exhibited problematic anger based on an established DAR-5 cutoff score (≥ 12). Anger symptoms co-occurred with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depressive, and anxiety symptoms, though the DAR-5 sufficiently distinguished anger from these correlated symptom profiles. The DAR-5 also demonstrated acceptable measurement invariance across levels of trauma exposure. Higher levels of trauma exposure in childhood and adulthood significantly increased the risk of problematic anger even after controlling for PTSD, anxiety, and depressive symptoms, partial pb range:.07-.16. The findings suggest the DAR-5 is a valid brief screen for anger in postpartum women. Increased attention should be paid to elevated anger and the co-occurrence of other mental health concerns following childbirth.

Concurrent and prospective prediction of community-dwelling adults' psychosocial functioning with the Inventory of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms-II (IDAS-II).

Mood and anxiety disorders involve defining symptoms (e.g., dysphoria, anhedonia) that can impair psychosocial functioning (e.g., self-care, work, social relationships). The present study evaluated the validity of the Inventory of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms-II (IDAS-II; Watson et al., 2012) via convergence with a semistructured interview assessing mood and anxiety disorder symptoms and, moreover, prediction of psychosocial functioning. Community-dwelling adults (N = 601) completed the self-report IDAS-II, a semistructured diagnostic interview, and self-report and interview measures of psychosocial functioning. A retest subsample (ns = 497-501) completed the functioning measures again, on average 8 months later. Supporting our hypotheses, the IDAS-II converged robustly with interview-assessed symptoms and predicted psychosocial functioning significantly, both concurrently and prospectively. Moreover, the IDAS-II predicted functioning significantly better than did the diagnostic interview. These findings support use of the IDAS-II in research and clinical settings to assess mood and anxiety symptoms and their connections to psychosocial impairment. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The role of eco-anxiety in the presentation of bulimia nervosa: a case report

BackgroundDespite a growing literature demonstrating the significant impacts of climate change on mental health, research is urgently needed to investigate how climate change-related concerns may contribute to the development, exacerbation, or re-emergence of eating disorders, as well as affect the effectiveness of existing interventions. This case report contributes to this scant knowledge base by offering empirical evidence for how responses to climate change can influence eating disorder symptoms and, importantly, limit the effectiveness of evidence-based treatments such as Cognitive Behavior Therapy-Enhanced (CBT-E).Case presentationA 24-year-old female graduate student studying environmental science presented to a specialized eating disorder clinic with worsening bulimia nervosa. Her symptoms initially improved with CBT-E; however, after three months, concerns about food waste significantly impeded further progress. The therapist, identifying symptoms of eco-anxiety, adapted standard CBT-E strategies to include psychoeducation about eco-anxiety, cognitive restructuring of beliefs about food waste and other eating-related eco-concerns, relevant exposures related to such concerns, and problem-solving to increase social support. These adaptations led to resumed progress, with the patient achieving nutritional adequacy by treatment end (38 sessions) and maintaining treatment gains through one year follow-up.ConclusionsTo our awareness, this is the first case report on the co-occurrence of eco-anxiety and eating disorders. This case underscores the importance of screening for concurrent eco-anxiety, suggests ways in which eating disorders and eco-anxiety can influence one another longitudinally, describes how coexisting eco-anxiety can limit standard CBT-E’s effectiveness, and provides examples of successful treatment adaptations tailored to address eco-anxiety-related concerns.

Parenting in the Face of Trauma: Music Therapy to Support Parent-Child Dyads Affected by War and Displacement.

The literature highlights the profound psychological impact of war on children, families, and communities, emphasizing the prevalence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and other symptoms among affected individuals. Interventions, such as Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) and music therapy, show promise in mitigating trauma effects, underscoring the need for holistic approaches that address familial and community dynamics alongside individual well-being. Aiming to explore the influences of dyadic music therapy sessions on parents' capacity to support their children, this study involved four families displaced from their home-kibbutz as result of a terrorist attack. All dyads participated in music therapy sessions with a focus on parent-child interactions and trauma processing (CPP informed). Embedded in a qualitative, phenomenological approach, the research utilized interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) and micro-analytic methods to explore meaningful moments in the music therapy sessions. Findings identified four central categories: (1) Discovering the child's grounding song: identifying resources; (2) Musical improvisation sets the grounds for parent-child mutual recognition of the child's traumatic experience; (3) Musical performance empowers child and parent; (4) A sense of agency is gained through controlling the musical environment. The significance of restoring the children's freedom of play, the parents' sense of competency, and of enhancing families' capacity to connect to their traumatic experiences through the musical environment is discussed.

Effect of small dose esketamine on perioperative neurocognitive disorder and postoperative depressive symptoms in elderly patients undergoing major elective noncardiac surgery for malignant tumors: A randomized clinical trial.

Perioperative neurocognitive disorder and postoperative depressive symptoms are significant complications after surgery. Studies have indicated that esketamine possesses neuroprotective and antidepressant qualities. This trial included 209 patients aged 60 to 86 years undergoing tumor resection who received esketamine (Group E) or not (Group C) during and after surgery. In group E, patients were given an intravenous dose of 0.5 mg/kg of esketamine 10 minutes after induction of general anaesthesia. In addition, esketamine (2 mg/kg) in combination with sufentanil was used for PCIA during 48 hours postoperatively. On the other hand, saline was used as a substitute for esketamine in group C. Cognitive function was evaluated using neuropsychological tests and telephone interview for cognitive status-modified, and symptoms of depression were assessed using Hamilton Depression Rating Scale 17. Compared to Group C, patients in Group E exhibited lower rates of depressive symptoms at 3, 7, and 90 days post-surgery (53.9% vs 67.7%, 26.3% vs 47.9%, and 13.3% vs 28.4%). Group E also showed decreased time for Trail Making Test on days 7 and 90. However, there were no significant differences in the incidence of delirium 1 to 5 days post-surgery or cognitive impairment 90 days post-surgery between the 2 groups (12.1% vs 10.9% and 8.4% vs 9.7%). Intraoperative low-dose esketamine and postoperative low-dose esketamine combined with sufentanil for patient-controlled intravenous analgesia has been shown to improve postoperative analgesia, alleviate postoperative depressive symptoms, and aid in the recovery of social executive ability. However, this approach did not reduce the incidence of postoperative delirium or postoperative cognitive dysfunction.

The gaming disorder test and gaming disorder scale for adolescents: translation and validation among Vietnamese young adults

BackgroundPrevious studies have shown that the Gaming Disorder Test (GDT) and Gaming Disorder Scale for Adolescents (GADIS-A) have promising validity and reliability when assessing symptoms of gaming disorder among young adults. However, validity and reliability properties of the two scales have not been established among a Vietnamese population.ObjectiveThe present study translated the GDT and GADIS-A into Vietnamese and examined their factor structures, measurement invariance, convergent validity, concurrent validity, and divergent validity among university students.MethodsA total of 610 young adults (mean age = 21.09 years; 63.4% females) were recruited using convenience sampling and who completed a paper-and-pencil survey between April and June 2023. All participants completed a demographic questionnaire, GDT, GADIS-A, and six standardized scales related to gaming disorder, social media addiction, smartphone addiction, and psychological distress. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), internal consistency testing, and Pearson’s correlations were performed.ResultsCFA showed that the GDT had a one-factor structure and the GADIS-A had a two-factor structure. The internal consistency was excellent for both scales among this population. Moreover, both GDT and GADIS-A showed convergent, concurrent, and divergent validity with other standardized scales.ConclusionThe Vietnamese versions of the GDT and GADIS-A have good psychometrics, which may be utilized in future research regarding gaming disorder among Vietnamese populations.

Insomnia as a predictor of treatment outcomes in adolescents receiving concentrated exposure treatment for OCD

BackgroundResearch suggests that individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) frequently experience insomnia. Some previous studies have suggested that insomnia may predict treatment outcomes, but the evidence is limited, especially for adolescents. This study examined the prevalence of insomnia in an adolescent OCD patient sample, explored the correlation between OCD and insomnia, and tested whether levels of insomnia at baseline predict outcomes for adolescent patients receiving the Bergen 4-Day Treatment (B4DT) for OCD.MethodsForty-three adolescent OCD patients who received B4DT were selected for this study. Treatment outcome was quantified as change in Children Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (CY-BOCS) scores across time from pre- to posttreatment and 3-month follow-up. Insomnia symptoms were measured by the Bergen Insomnia Scale (BIS). Linear mixed models were used to examine the relationship between the BIS and changes in CY-BOCS scores. We controlled for symptoms of general anxiety disorder measured by the GAD-7 and depression symptoms measured by the PHQ-9.ResultsIn this sample, 68.4% of the patients scored above the cutoff for insomnia on the BIS. There was a moderate correlation between baseline CY-BOCS and BIS that did not reach statistical significance (r = .32, p = .051). High BIS scores before treatment were significantly associated with poorer treatment outcomes, as measured by changes in CY-BOCS over time (p = .002). The association between baseline insomnia and change in OCD symptoms remained significant (p = .033) while controlling for GAD-7 and PHQ-9.ConclusionInsomnia is common among adolescents with OCD, and these data suggest that these patients may be at increased risk for poor treatment outcomes. Future research to explore mechanisms and adjunctive treatments is warranted.Trial registrationThe study was approved by the Regional Committee for Medical and Health Research Ethics of Northern Norway (REK Nord: 2023/606482).

AST-001 versus placebo for social communication in children with autism spectrum disorder: A randomized clinical trial.

This study examined the efficacy of AST-001 for the core symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children. This phase 2 clinical trial consisted of a 12-week placebo-controlled main study, a 12-week extension, and a 12-week follow-up in children aged 2 to 11 years with ASD. The participants were randomized in a 1:1:1 ratio to a high-dose, low-dose, or placebo-to-high-dose control group during the main study. The placebo-to-high-dose control group received placebo during the main study and high-dose AST-001 during the extension. The a priori primary outcome was the mean change in the Adaptive Behavior Composite (ABC) score of the Korean Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales II (K-VABS-II) from baseline to week 12. Among 151 enrolled participants, 144 completed the main study, 140 completed the extension, and 135 completed the follow-up. The mean K-VABS-II ABC score at the 12th week compared with baseline was significantly increased in the high-dose group (P = 0.042) compared with the placebo-to-high-dose control group. The mean CGI-S scores were significantly decreased at the 12th week in the high-dose (P = 0.046) and low-dose (P = 0.017) groups compared with the placebo-to-high-dose control group. During the extension, the K-VABS-II ABC and CGI-S scores of the placebo-to-high-dose control group changed rapidly after administration of high-dose AST-001 and caught up with those of the high-dose group at the 24th week. AST-001 was well tolerated with no safety concern. The most common adverse drug reaction was diarrhea. Our results provide preliminary evidence for the efficacy of AST-001 for the core symptoms of ASD.

Describing the Framework for AI Tool Assessment in Mental Health and Applying It to a Generative AI Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Platform: Tutorial.

As artificial intelligence (AI) technologies occupy a bigger role in psychiatric and psychological care and become the object of increased research attention, industry investment, and public scrutiny, tools for evaluating their clinical, ethical, and user-centricity standards have become essential. In this paper, we first review the history of rating systems used to evaluate AI mental health interventions. We then describe the recently introduced Framework for AI Tool Assessment in Mental Health (FAITA-Mental Health), whose scoring system allows users to grade AI mental health platforms on key domains, including credibility, user experience, crisis management, user agency, health equity, and transparency. Finally, we demonstrate the use of FAITA-Mental Health scale by systematically applying it to OCD Coach, a generative AI tool readily available on the ChatGPT store and designed to help manage the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder. The results offer insights into the utility and limitations of FAITA-Mental Health when applied to "real-world" generative AI platforms in the mental health space, suggesting that the framework effectively identifies key strengths and gaps in AI-driven mental health tools, particularly in areas such as credibility, user experience, and acute crisis management. The results also highlight the need for stringent standards to guide AI integration into mental health care in a manner that is not only effective but also safe and protective of the users' rights and welfare.

Associations between neighborhood factors and insomnia and their spatial clustering in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

BackgroundNeighborhood-level adverse social determinants may be a risk factor for sleep health disparities. We examined the associations between neighborhood factors and insomnia and explored their spatial clustering in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional analysis of data from Philadelphia residents who participated in online screening for insomnia-related research. Participants self-reported sex, age, body mass index, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and insomnia symptoms. The sample was stratified as “No Insomnia” (≤7) and “Insomnia” (>7) based on the Insomnia Severity Index (range: 0-28). Neighborhood and participant data were merged using geospatial techniques. Multiple regression models and geospatial analysis were used to identify neighborhood variables that are associated with insomnia and their spatial distribution. ResultsThe sample (N = 350) was predominantly female (53%), middle-aged (40.8 ± 13.8), overweight (body mass index=26.1 ± 5.54), and 53.7% had insomnia. The insomnia group had significantly higher depression scores (14.6 ± 5.5), a large percentage had anxiety (64.4%) and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms (31.9%), and largely resided in high crime (p < .001) and highly deprived neighborhoods (p = .034). Within the insomnia group, a 1-point increase in the number of spiritual centers in the neighborhood was associated with lower insomnia symptoms (b=−1.02, p = .002), while a 1-point increase in depression scores (b=0.44, p < .001) and residence in a highly deprived neighborhood (b=1.49, p = .021) was associated with greater insomnia. ConclusionDisparities exist in the neighborhood determinants of insomnia and their spatial distribution in Philadelphia. Interventions targeting the spatial distribution of adverse social determinants may improve insomnia disparities.

From sleep to sip? Examining a daily model of sleep and trauma-related drinking among sexual violence survivors.

Alcohol misuse is common among women who have experienced sexual violence and is often attributed to the self-medication model of alcohol use to alleviate posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Despite the proximal theorized role of PTSD symptoms, less attention has been given to daily associations between PTSD symptoms, trauma-related drinking to cope (TRD) motives, and ensuing alcohol use by survivors. Moreover, despite indications that poor sleep impacts affective functioning and may exacerbate daily PTSD symptoms, the role of sleep duration and quality in drinking to cope with PTSD symptoms is not well understood. This study examined an integrated model testing whether shorter sleep duration and poorer sleep quality predict greater daily PTSD symptoms and, in turn, greater alcohol use later that day through TRD motives. Participants were 82 cisgender women (Mage = 22.8, 73.2% White, 13.4% Hispanic/Latina, 56.1% heterosexual, 30.5% bisexual) who had experienced sexual violence. Participants completed ecological momentary assessment measures and wore actigraphs for 3 weeks. Contrary to hypotheses, shorter-than-usual sleep duration did not predict greater alcohol use quantity via daily PTSD symptoms and TRD motives. However, poorer-than-usual sleep quality predicted greater PTSD symptoms that day, which in turn predicted greater same-day TRD motives. Findings underscore the importance of sleep quality in heightened PTSD symptoms but suggest survivors did not drink more to alleviate trauma-related distress. Future research should examine other drinking motives among survivors to inform proximal interventions to prevent alcohol misuse. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Maternal trauma exposure is linked to adult offspring's cognitive functioning in the context of mass violence.

This study aimed to examine whether mothers' level of trauma exposure and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms are related to their offspring's cognitive functioning. Mothers exposed to the 1994 genocide perpetrated against the Tutsi (N = 181) and one of their adult offspring were recruited in Rwanda. Mothers and their offspring answered questionnaires on sociodemographic information, the level of trauma exposure, and PTSD symptoms. They also performed a backward digit span task and a similarity task to assess their working memory and abstract reasoning, respectively. Hierarchical regression models were used to analyze the data. Mothers' level of trauma exposure, but not PTSD symptoms, was significantly related to their offspring's abstract reasoning performance after controlling for offspring's age, sex, and economic status. The relationship between mothers' level of trauma exposure, PTSD symptoms, and their offspring's working memory performance was not significant. Offspring's education was significantly linked to their working memory and abstract reasoning performance. The findings demonstrate that the intergenerational transmission of trauma can impact the cognitive functioning of the next generation. These results also illustrate the profound and long-term human impact of mass violence. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Predictors of treatment outcome in higher levels of care among a large sample of adolescents with heterogeneous eating disorders

BackgroundDespite widespread use of higher levels of care in treating eating disorders in adolescents, research supporting the use of these treatments remains limited by small sample sizes and a predominant focus on anorexia nervosa. Further, existing data regarding predictors of outcome have yielded mixed findings. In the current study, we evaluated treatment outcomes and predictors of outcome among a large sample of adolescents with eating disorders presenting to inpatient, residential, partial hospitalization programs, and intensive outpatient programs across the United States.MethodsAdolescents (N = 1,971) completed self-report measures of eating disorder symptoms, depression, and anxiety at treatment admission, stepdown, and discharge. Using linear mixed effect models, we evaluated changes in symptoms over treatment separately among youth admitted to inpatient/residential treatment and those admitted to partial hospitalization/intensive outpatient programs, and used established metrics to gauge frequency of reliable (i.e., statistically reliable) and clinically significant change.ResultsResults suggested decreases in eating disorder symptoms, depression, and anxiety from intake to discharge. Around 50% of the sample reported reliable decreases in eating disorder symptoms at stepdown and discharge, with 30% of the sample reporting reliable reductions in depression and anxiety. Psychiatric comorbidity, primary diagnosis, age, and eating disorder symptoms at admission consistently predicted treatment-related change, although patterns in findings varied across symptoms.ConclusionsData from our sample are consistent with past work suggesting that adolescents enrolled in higher levels of care report clinical benefit; however, these effects are heterogenous, and a significant portion of individuals may not report reliable change in symptoms. Ultimately, ongoing work is required to better understand how and for whom higher levels of care may achieve their benefit and to identify the optimal approach for improving outcomes for adolescents with eating disorders.

Unforeseen severity in a case of neonatal cow milk protein allergy: a case report

Cow milk protein allergy (CMPA) is one of the most common childhood allergies that manifests with a range of digestive symptoms and skin reactions, which usually resolve with age. In this report, we present the case of a one-month-old male who presented with a rare and severe manifestation of neonatal CMPA. The neonate underwent numerous hospital admissions due to a presentation that closely mimicked symptoms of a metabolic disorder and sepsis. Our primary objective is to highlight the significance of systematically considering or excluding a CMPA diagnosis, irrespective of the severity of presentation. This proactive approach may potentially reduce future complications among the affected paediatric population, thereby preventing prolonged hospitalisation and the associated disease burden, as seen in this case. Keywords: Cow milk protein allergy, Metabolic acidosis, Amino-acid based infant formula, Neonatal food allergy, CMPA.

Patients with temporomandibular disorders and chronic pain of myofascial origin display reduced alpha power density and altered small-world properties of brain networks

BACKGROUND: Chronic pain is one of the most common symptoms of temporomandibular disorders (TMD). Although its pathophysiology is still a challenge, TMD has been associated with changes in central nervous system activity related to pain modulatory capacity. OBJECTIVE: To assess the cortical activity of patients with temporomandibular disorders and chronic pain of myofascial origin using quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG) in different mental states. METHOD: This study consists of a cross-sectional study. Individuals with TMD and chronic pain and healthy controls were evaluated using qEEG in four consecutive conditions, all with closed eyes: 1) initial resting condition; 2) non-painful motor imagery task of hand movement; 3) painful motor imagery task of clenching the teeth; 4) final resting condition. RESULTS: Participants with TMD and chronic pain overall presented decreased alpha power density during baseline at rest, non-painful and painful motor imagery tasks when compared to healthy controls. Furthermore, functional brain connectivity was distinct between groups, with TMD and chronic pain showing lower small-world values for the delta (all conditions), theta (painful and non-painful motor imagery task), and alpha bands (painful motor imagery task), and an increase in the beta band (all conditions). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that TMD and chronic pain could be associated with maladaptive plasticity in the brain, which may correspond to a reduced ability to modify brain activity during different mental tasks, including painful and non-painful motor imagery.

Antipsychotic Drugs and Cognitive Function

Cognitive deficits are a substantial part of the symptoms of schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSDs) and contribute heavily to the burden of disease. Antipsychotic drugs are not cognitive enhancers, but due to their different receptor-binding profiles, they could differ in their effects on cognition. No previous network meta-analysis compared antipsychotics to placebo, which is important to determine whether use of these drugs is associated with cognitive performance in SSDs at all. To determine the association of treatment with various antipsychotics and cognition in patients with SSDs. Cochrane Schizophrenia Trials Register through June 25, 2023. Randomized clinical trials examining the effects on cognition of antipsychotic drugs or placebo in participants with SSD. A systematic review and random-effects frequentist network meta-analysis was performed following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses-Network Meta-analysis reporting guideline. The primary outcome was change in overall cognition score calculated for each study. Secondary outcomes included cognitive domains, quality of life, and functioning. This study included 68 studies involving 9525 participants (mean [SD] age, 35.1 [8.9] years; 5878 male [70%] and 2890 [30%] female; some studies did not provide this information). There were few clear differences between antipsychotics, but first-generation dopamine antagonists haloperidol (standardized mean difference [SMD], 0.04; 95% CI, -0.25 to 0.33) and fluphenazine (SMD, 0.15; 95% CI, -0.39 to 0.69) as well as clozapine (SMD, 0.12; 95% CI, -0.23 to 0.48) ranked low. No individual antipsychotic was associated with a clearly better outcome than placebo, but antipsychotics as a group were, with small effect sizes (mean SMDs: adrenergic/low dopamine, 0.21; serotonergic/dopaminergic, 0.26; muscarinic, 0.28; dopaminergic, 0.40). Although data are relatively sparse, those reviewed in this study suggest that first-generation dopamine antagonists and clozapine should be avoided when cognitive deficits are a concern. Antipsychotics are not procognitive drugs. The overall small superior outcomes compared to placebo may be explained by less disordered thought patterns associated with fewer positive symptoms rather than cognitive deficits in the proper sense. The findings also suggest that harmonizing measurement of cognitive function in randomized clinical trials would be beneficial.

Emotion Regulation Within Context: Understanding Buffering Effects on Chronic Pain and PTSD Among Black Women Who've Experienced Sexual Assault and Racism.

Previous research has found that both racism and sexual assault are related to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and chronic pain. Black women have unique relationships to these stressors situated within contexts of oppression, and little is known about factors that may exacerbate these associations among Black women. Among Black women experiencing both racism and sexual assault (n = 148), emotion clarity moderated the relation between PTSD and chronic pain, β = .0126, SE = 0.0059, p < .05. Our findings support the importance of considering the place that psychological constructs like emotion regulation and traumatic stressors hold in contexts of oppression.

Do Swedish rock-climbers exhibit more eating disorder and body dissatisfaction symptoms than non-climbers? A cross-sectional study

ObjectivesThe inclusion of rock-climbing in the Olympic Games has increased participation in the sport and attention to athletes' health. In sports where the importance of low body weight is considerate,...

Relationship between trauma, post-traumatic stress and post-traumatic growth for police officials: A path analysis

Background &amp; Objective: Police officials tend to face a high frequency of potentially traumatic incidents due to nature of their job. A dichotomous distinction among these traumatic incidents is witnessing of threat or harm to others and the experiencing of threat or harm directly to oneself. Previous research suggests that different types of traumas (direct and indirect) exposure can produce different levels of negative responses including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and positive outcomes such as posttraumatic growth (PTG) in police officials and other law enforcement agencies officials. Our objective was to study post-traumatic stress and post traumatic growth among police officials. Methods: In this cross-sectional study conducted from January 2019 to December 2022. The sample consisted of 400 police officials (having direct and indirect exposure of war trauma) who participated in war on terror in FATA Pakistan. Non probability purposive sampling technique was used for sample selection. Relationship among trauma, PTS (Post traumatic stress) and PTG (Post traumatic growth) was assessed. Results: Findings from the present study indicated that stress played vital role in paving pathway from trauma to growth (β =0.08). Study results also confirmed that moderate level of stress is linked with positive changes like posttraumatic growth. R-square change in linear relationship among stress and posttraumatic growth was 0.59 but in curvilinear relationship among stress and posttraumatic growth R-square change was 0.77 which is higher than linear relationship which confirmed the curvilinear relationship between stress and growth and these findings proved that moderate level of stress after war trauma exposure produced higher levels of post traumatic growth. Conditional indirect effect of exposure to trauma on growth is highly significant (***p &lt; .001) so the role of stress as mediator has been confirmed. Conclusion: The study provided initial evidence that after trauma exposure levels of posttraumatic stress which is experienced play a significant role in the promotion of PTG. Moreover, the results from the present study also revealed the possibility of positive changes in behaviors facilitated by moderate exposure of trauma and stress. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.10.8897 How to cite this: Azeem A, Kiran N. Relationship between trauma, post-traumatic stress and post-traumatic growth for police officials: A path analysis. Pak J Med Sci. 2024;40(10):2223-2227. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.10.8897 This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Associations Between Cultural Values, Acculturation, Intimate Partner Violence, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms in Mexican American Women

Associations Between Cultural Values, Acculturation, Intimate Partner Violence, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms in Mexican American Women