Cutaneous and cardiorespiratory symptoms are the most significant somatic symptom predictors of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) severity

Intimate partner violence (IPV) refers to emotional, physical, and/or sexual abuse perpetrated by a current or former partner. IPV affects both genders, though little is known about its effects on men as victims. The aims of this study were to determine if IPV is a factor contributing to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) severity independently of deployment-related trauma, and to determine if there are gender differences in these associations. Participants were 46 female and 471 male post-9/11 veterans. Four sequential regressions were employed to examine the independent contribution of IPV among multiple trauma types on PTSD severity in men and women at two epochs, post-deployment (participants were anchored to deployment-related PTSD symptoms) and current (within the past month). Models were significant for both epochs in men ( ps < .001) but not in women ( ps > .230). In men, IPV independently predicted PTSD severity in both epochs (β > .093). However, in women, early life trauma (β = .284), but not IPV was a significant and independent predictor for current PTSD. Thus, there are distinct gender differences in how trauma type contributes to PTSD symptom severity. Although the statistical models were not significant in women, we observed similar patterns of results as in men and, in some cases, the β was actually higher in women than in men, suggesting a lack of power in our analyses. More research is clearly needed to follow-up these results; however, our findings indicate that IPV is a contributing factor to PTSD severity in veterans.

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Attachment Orientations Moderate the Self-Amplifying Cycle of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Negative Cognitions—A Seven-Year Longitudinal Study

Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology ◽

10.1521/jscp.2019.38.6.522 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 38 (6) ◽

pp. 522-544 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Yafit Levin ◽

Mario Mikulincer ◽

Zahava Solomon

Keyword(s):

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽

Posttraumatic Stress ◽

Stress Disorder ◽

Attachment Anxiety ◽

The Self ◽

Negative Cognitions ◽

Anxious Attachment ◽

Yom Kippur War ◽

Attachment Orientations ◽

Ptsd Severity

Introduction: We examined whether attachment orientations moderated the self-amplifying cycle of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and negative cognitions, decades after the trauma ended. Method: We sampled Israeli veterans from the 1973 Yom Kippur War and assessed PTSD severity and cognitions about the self and the world, twice—35 (T1) and 42 (T2) years after the war. At T1, we assessed participants’ attachment orientations (anxiety, avoidance). Results: Findings provided support for a self-amplifying cycle of PTSD severity and negative cognitions about others’ benevolence during the seven-year study period. Findings also indicated that this self-amplifying cycle was significant only among veterans who scored relatively high on attachment anxiety but not among those who had less anxious attachment. Attachment avoidance also moderated the prospective contribution of negative cognitions about the self and others to PTSD severity seven years later. Discussion: The psychological mechanisms underlying the observed effects of attachment orientations were discussed.

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Risk Factors for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Female Help-Seeking Victims of Sexual Assault

Violence and Victims ◽

10.1891/0886-6708.09-135 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 28 (3) ◽

pp. 552-568 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Ask Elklit ◽

Dorte M. Christiansen

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽

Sexual Assault ◽

Posttraumatic Stress ◽

Help Seeking ◽

Stress Disorder ◽

Negative Affectivity ◽

Traumatic Experiences ◽

High Degree ◽

Ptsd Severity

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is common in the aftermath of rape and other sexual assault, but the risk factors leading to PTSD following rape have been shown to differ from those related to PTSD following nonsexual assault. This prospective study examined risk factors for PTSD severity in 148 female help-seeking victims of sexual assault. Approximately 70% of the victims experienced significant levels of traumatization, with 45% reporting symptoms consistent with a probable PTSD diagnosis. Regression analyses showed that relationship with the assailant, number of assailants, the nature of the assault, perceived positive social support, support satisfaction, feeling let down by others, and prior exposure to sexual trauma did not significantly predict PTSD severity at the final level of analysis. In accordance with suggestions by Dancu, Riggs, Hearst-Ikeda, and Shoyer (1996), it is suggested that this is partly caused by a very high degree of traumatization in the sample. Instead, previous nonsexual traumatic experiences and negative affectivity accounted for 30% of the variance in PTSD severity. Although more research is needed on risk factors of assault-related PTSD, these findings suggest that although sexual assault is associated with a high degree of PTSD severity, prior nonsexual victimization and high levels of negative affectivity appear to further increase the vulnerability toward developing symptoms of assault-related PTSD.

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Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Is Highly Comorbid With Adult ADHD in Alcohol Use Disorder Inpatients

Journal of Attention Disorders ◽

10.1177/1087054720903363 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 108705472090336

Author(s):

Hussein El Ayoubi ◽

Paul Brunault ◽

Servane Barrault ◽

Damien Maugé ◽

Grégoire Baudin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽

Alcohol Use ◽

Posttraumatic Stress ◽

Alcohol Use Disorder ◽

Adult Adhd ◽

Rating Scale ◽

Stress Disorder ◽

Self Report ◽

Lifetime Trauma ◽

Ptsd Severity

Objective: Increasing number of studies show an association between adult ADHD (a-ADHD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We explored this association in alcohol use disorder (AUD) inpatients. Method: In total, 551 inpatients cross-sectionally completed self-administered questionnaires regarding sociodemographics, lifetime trauma exposure, PTSD Checklist for DSM-5, Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS), and Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS). We considered self-reported a-ADHD when ASRS and WURS had significant scores. Results: Prevalence for a-ADHD was 20%. PTSD prevalence was higher in a-ADHD patients (84% vs. 40%; p < .001). They also were younger ( p < .001) and women ( p = .015). Adult ADHD was associated with more traumatic events, and symptoms were correlated with PTSD severity. After adjusting for age, gender and marital status, PTSD severity was associated with a-ADHD. Conclusion: Our study confirms that a-ADHD is associated with PTSD in AUD inpatients, and thus, may represent a specific subpopulation. Future studies should explore implication of this dual diagnosis on AUD and treatment outcome.

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Association between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) severity and ego structure of the Nanai people

Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine ◽

10.1186/s12199-017-0666-z ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 22 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Yoko Ota ◽

Natalia Korshunova ◽

Masashi Demura ◽

Midori Katsuyama ◽

Hironobu Katsuyama ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽

Posttraumatic Stress ◽

Stress Disorder ◽

Ptsd Severity

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Emotion regulation in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD): Rumination accounts for the association between emotion regulation difficulties and PTSD severity

Journal of Clinical Psychology ◽

10.1002/jclp.22879 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 76 (3) ◽

pp. 508-525

Author(s):

Cameron P. Pugach ◽

Allison A. Campbell ◽

Blair E. Wisco

Keyword(s):

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽

Emotion Regulation ◽

Posttraumatic Stress ◽

Stress Disorder ◽

Ptsd Severity

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The ADCYAP1R1 Gene Is Correlated With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms Through Diverse Epistases in a Traumatized Chinese Population

Frontiers in Psychiatry ◽

10.3389/fpsyt.2021.665599 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Li Wang ◽

Jingyi Zhang ◽

Gen Li ◽

Chengqi Cao ◽

Ruojiao Fang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽

Posttraumatic Stress ◽

Hpa Axis ◽

Stress Responses ◽

Stress Disorder ◽

Ptsd Symptoms ◽

Single Nucleotide ◽

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms ◽

Ptsd Severity

The adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide 1 (pituitary) receptor (ADCYAP1R1) gene is associated with the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which controls stress responses. The single-nucleotide polymorphism of ADCYAP1R1, rs2267735, has been investigated in many studies to test its association with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but the results have not been consistent. It is worth systematically exploring the role of rs2267735 in PTSD development. In this study, we analyzed rs2267735 in 1,132 trauma-exposed Chinese individuals (772 females and 360 males). We utilized the PTSD checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) to measure the PTSD symptoms. Then, we analyzed the main, G × E (rs2267735 × trauma exposure), and G × G (with other HPA axis gene polymorphisms) effects of rs2267735 on PTSD severity (total symptoms). There were no significant main or G × E effects (P > 0.05). The G × G ADCYAP1R1-FKBP5 interaction (rs2267735 × rs1360780) was associated with PTSD severity (beta = −1.31 and P = 0.049) based on all subjects, and the G × G ADCYAP1R1-CRHR1 interaction (rs2267735 × rs242924) was correlated with PTSD severity in men (beta = −4.72 and P = 0.023). Our study indicated that the ADCYAP1R1 polymorphism rs2267735 may affect PTSD development through diverse gene-gene interactions.

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A closer examination of facets of social interactions in predicting posttraumatic stress disorder and factors that moderate these associations

10.32920/ryerson.14663793.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Naomi Ennis

Keyword(s):

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽

Social Interactions ◽

Posttraumatic Stress ◽

Stress Disorder ◽

Traumatic Event ◽

Positive Interactions ◽

Trauma Recovery ◽

Ptsd Symptoms ◽

Negative Social Interactions ◽

Ptsd Severity

Posttraumatic social interactions are among the most robust predictors of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following trauma, but social interactions have been widely defined and quantified in the literature. This study explored whether negative social interactions were more strongly associated with PTSD symptoms than positive interactions among adults recently exposed to a traumatic event, as well as factors that moderate these associations. Participants (N = 149) were assessed by the clinician-administered PTSD scale and completed self-reported measures of social interactions and disclosure style. Only negative social interactions, specifically general societal disapproval and disapproval from family and friends, emerged as significant predictors of PTSD severity in a multiple regression analysis. Sex, trauma type, and dysfunctional disclosure style did not moderate relationships between negative social interactions and PTSD severity. Findings imply that negative social interactions may be more integral to trauma recovery than positive ones. Clinical implications are discussed.

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735 Neighborhood Stress Predicts Fear of Sleep Independently of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

SLEEP ◽

10.1093/sleep/zsab072.732 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 44 (Supplement_2) ◽

pp. A287-A287

Author(s):

Milan Poindexter ◽

Alicia Stokes ◽

Thomas Mellman

Keyword(s):

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽

African Americans ◽

Posttraumatic Stress ◽

Low Income ◽

Stress Disorder ◽

Neighborhood Environment ◽

Stress Index ◽

Additional Contribution ◽

Ptsd Severity ◽

Neighborhood Stress

Abstract Introduction Chronic insufficient sleep is linked to a variety of adverse health outcomes, with African Americans reporting and objectively receiving poorer sleep outcomes in comparison to their non-Hispanic white counterparts. African Americans live disproportionately in low-income and disordered neighborhoods that increase one’s risk of experiencing a traumatic event and interfere with sleep. It has been demonstrated that posttraumatic stress disorder disrupts sleep in part due to its association with sleep-related fears. However, less research has evaluated the additional contribution of perceived neighborhood stress on the sleep-related fears African Americans experience in their sleep environments. Methods The present study features a nonclinical sample of 163 African American participants (ages 18–35) who reside in DC to investigate whether PTSD severity (Clinician Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 Severity Score, CAPS-5) and perceived neighborhood stress (City Stress Index, CSI) are predictive of sleep-related fears (Fear of Sleep Inventory, FoSI). Results After controlling for gender, hierarchical linear regression analyses revealed that PTSD severity and perceptions of the neighborhood environment accounted for approximately 33% of the variance in sleep-related fears (∆R2 = .329, p = .000). Regression coefficients suggest that subjective perceptions of the neighborhood (β = .388) may be a stronger predictor of sleep-related fears than PTSD severity (β = .300) Conclusion Results from this study have implications for future interventions that involve improving coping skills among African Americans in the context of their sleep environments. Support (if any) 5R01HL136626 from the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute

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Altered functional connectivity in posttraumatic stress disorder with versus without comorbid major depressive disorder: a resting state fMRI study

F1000Research ◽

10.12688/f1000research.2-289.v1 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 2 ◽

pp. 289 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Mitzy Kennis ◽

Arthur R. Rademaker ◽

Sanne J.H. van Rooij ◽

René S. Kahn ◽

Elbert Geuze

Keyword(s):

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽

Major Depressive Disorder ◽

Functional Connectivity ◽

Depressive Disorder ◽

Posttraumatic Stress ◽

Resting State ◽

Stress Disorder ◽

Resting State Functional Connectivity ◽

Major Depressive ◽

Ptsd Severity

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that is often diagnosed with comorbid depressive disorder. Therefore, neuroimaging studies investigating PTSD typically include both patients with and without comorbid depression. Differences in activity of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and insula have been shown to differentiate PTSD patients with and without major depressive disorder (MDD). Whether or not comorbid MDD affects resting state functional connectivity of PTSD patients has not been investigated to our knowledge. Here, resting state functional connectivity of PTSD patients with (PTSD+MDD; n=27) and without (PTSD-MDD; n=23) comorbid MDD was investigated. The subgenual ACC and insula were investigated as seed regions. Connectivity between the subgenual ACC and perigenual parts of the ACC was increased in PTSD+MDD versus PTSD-MDD. Reduced functional connectivity of the subgenual ACC with the thalamus was found in the PTSD+MDD group versus the PTSD-MDD group. These results remained significant after controlling for PTSD severity. In addition, the PTSD+MDD group showed reduced functional connectivity of the insula with the hippocampus compared to the PTSD-MDD group. However, this cluster was no longer significantly different when controlling for PTSD severity. Thus, resting state functional connectivity of the subgenual ACC may distinguish PTSD+MDD from PTSD-MDD. As PTSD patients with comorbid MDD are more treatment resistant, this result may be important for treatment development.

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