Vulnerable, But Why? Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms in Older Adults Exposed to Hurricane Sandy

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 362-370 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allison R. Heid ◽  
Zachary Christman ◽  
Rachel Pruchno ◽  
Francine P. Cartwright ◽  
Maureen Wilson-Genderson
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Hurricane Sandy ◽  
Chronic Health Conditions ◽  
Health Conditions ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Group Status ◽  
Chronic Health ◽  
Post Traumatic

AbstractObjectiveDrawing on pre-disaster, peri-disaster, and post-disaster data, this study examined factors associated with the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in older adults exposed to Hurricane Sandy.MethodsWe used a sample of older participants matched by gender, exposure, and geographic region (N=88, mean age=59.83 years) in which one group reported clinically significant levels of PTSD symptoms and the other did not. We conducted t-tests, chi-square tests, and exact logistic regressions to examine differences in pre-disaster characteristics and peri-disaster experiences.ResultsOlder adults who experienced PTSD symptoms reported lower levels of income, positive affect, subjective health, and social support and were less likely to be working 4 to 6 years before Hurricane Sandy than were people not experiencing PTSD symptoms. Those developing PTSD symptoms reported more depressive symptoms, negative affect, functional disability, chronic health conditions, and pain before Sandy and greater distress and feelings of danger during Hurricane Sandy. Exact logistic regression revealed independent effects of preexisting chronic health conditions and feelings of distress during Hurricane Sandy in predicting PTSD group status.ConclusionsOur findings indicated that because vulnerable adults can be identified before disaster strikes, the opportunity to mitigate disaster-related PTSD exists through identification and resource programs that target population subgroups. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2016;10:362–370)

Fear of Aging Moderates Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms Among Older Adults Exposed to Hurricane Sandy

2014 ◽  
Vol 22 (7) ◽  
pp. 741 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuval Palgi ◽  
Amit Shrira ◽  
Robin Goodwin ◽  
Yaira Hamama-Raz ◽  
Menachem Ben-Ezra
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Hurricane Sandy ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Post Traumatic

Exposure to Hurricane Sandy, neighborhood collective efficacy, and post-traumatic stress symptoms in older adults

2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (7) ◽  
pp. 742-750 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allison R. Heid ◽  
Rachel Pruchno ◽  
Francine P. Cartwright ◽  
Maureen Wilson-Genderson
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Collective Efficacy ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Hurricane Sandy ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Symptoms ◽  
Neighborhood Collective Efficacy ◽  
Post Traumatic

Saskatoon in motion: Class vs. home-based exercise intervention in older adults with chronic health conditions

2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruce Reeder ◽  
Karen Chad ◽  
Liz Harrison ◽  
Nigel Ashworth ◽  
Suzanne Sheppard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Exercise Intervention ◽  
Chronic Health Conditions ◽  
Health Conditions ◽  
Chronic Health ◽  
Home Based

scholarly journals Genes and hormones of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis in post-traumatic stress disorder. What is their role in symptom expression and treatment response?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanne Fischer ◽  
Tabea Schumacher ◽  
Christine Knaevelsrud ◽  
Ulrike Ehlert ◽  
Sarah Schumacher
Keyword(s):  
Hpa Axis ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Alternative Treatments ◽  
Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal ◽  
Post Traumatic

Abstract Background Less than half of all individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) remit spontaneously and a large proportion of those seeking treatment do not respond sufficiently. This suggests that there may be subgroups of individuals who are in need of augmentative or alternative treatments. One of the most frequent pathophysiological findings in PTSD is alterations in the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, including enhanced negative feedback sensitivity and attenuated peripheral cortisol. Given the role of the HPA axis in cognition, this pattern may contribute to PTSD symptoms and interfere with key processes of standard first-line treatments, such as trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy (TF-CBT). Methods This review provides a comprehensive summary of the current state of research regarding the role of HPA axis functioning in PTSD symptoms and treatment. Results Overall, there is preliminary evidence that hypocortisolaemia contributes to symptom manifestation in PTSD; that it predicts non-responses to TF-CBT; and that it is subject to change in parallel with positive treatment trajectories. Moreover, there is evidence that genetic and epigenetic alterations within the genes NR3C1 and FKBP5 are associated with this hypocortisolaemic pattern and that some of these alterations change as symptoms improve over the course of treatment. Conclusions Future research priorities include investigations into the role of the HPA axis in day-to-day symptom variation, the time scale in which biological changes in response to treatment occur, and the effects of sex. Furthermore, before conceiving augmentative or alternative treatments that target the described mechanisms, multilevel studies are warranted.

Association Between Intimate Partner Violence Subtypes and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms and Hazardous Substance Use

2021 ◽  
pp. 088626052110219
Author(s):  
Matthew M. Yalch ◽  
Sloane R. M. Rickman
Keyword(s):  
Substance Use ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cumulative Effects ◽  
Hazardous Substance ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Post Traumatic

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a common problem for women in the United States and is associated with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as well as hazardous use of substances like alcohol and drugs. However, not all subtypes of IPV (i.e., physical, sexual, and psychological) are equally predictive of PTSD and hazardous substance use. Although previous research suggests that psychological IPV has the strongest relative effect on PTSD symptoms and substance use, there is less research on IPV subtypes’ cumulative effects. In this study, we examined the relative and cumulative effects of physical, sexual, and psychological IPV on PTSD symptoms and hazardous substance use in a sample of women in the United States recruited via Amazon’s Mechanical Turk ( N = 793) using bootstrapped multiple regression and configural frequency analyses. Results suggest that physical IPV had the most pronounced influence (medium-large effect sizes) on substance use across women, but that the cumulative effects of all three IPV subtypes were most closely associated with diagnostic levels of both PTSD and substance use at the level of groups of women. These findings clarify and extend previous research on the differential effects of IPV subtypes and provide directions for future research and clinical intervention.

scholarly journals Pharmacotherapy for post-traumatic stress disorder: Systematic review and meta-analysis

2015 ◽  
Vol 206 (2) ◽  
pp. 93-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathew Hoskins ◽  
Jennifer Pearce ◽  
Andrew Bethell ◽  
Liliya Dankova ◽  
Corrado Barbui ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Post Traumatic

BackgroundPharmacological treatment is widely used for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) despite questions over its efficacy.AimsTo determine the efficacy of all types of pharmacotherapy, as monotherapy, in reducing symptoms of PTSD, and to assess acceptability.MethodA systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials was undertaken; 51 studies were included.ResultsSelective serotonin reuptake inhibitors were found to be statistically superior to placebo in reduction of PTSD symptoms but the effect size was small (standardised mean difference −0.23, 95% CI −0.33 to −0.12). For individual pharmacological agents compared with placebo in two or more trials, we found small statistically significant evidence of efficacy for fluoxetine, paroxetine and venlafaxine.ConclusionsSome drugs have a small positive impact on PTSD symptoms and are acceptable. Fluoxetine, paroxetine and venlafaxine may be considered as potential treatments for the disorder. For most drugs there is inadequate evidence regarding efficacy for PTSD, pointing to the need for more research in this area.

Sixty years later: post-traumatic stress symptoms and current psychopathology in former German children of World War II

2006 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 955-961 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philipp Kuwert ◽  
Carsten Spitzer ◽  
Anna Träder ◽  
Harald J. Freyberger ◽  
Michael Ermann
Keyword(s):  
World War Ii ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Trauma Exposure ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
World War ◽  
Stress Symptoms ◽  
Trauma Impact ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
German Children

Background: The aim of the study was to determine the amount of trauma impact, post-traumatic stress symptoms and current psychopathological distress in a sample of former German children of World War II.Methods: 93 participants were recruited through the local press, and assessed using the modified Post-traumatic Diagnostic Scale (PDS) and the Symptom Checklist (SCL-90-R).Results: Subjects reported a high qualitative and quantitative degree of trauma exposure. 13.8% reported PTSD-related symptoms after the war, and 10.8% reported current symptoms. PTSD symptoms after World War II were significantly correlated with current psychopathological distress.Conclusions: In line with other studies, our data document a high degree of trauma exposure during warchildhood. In comparison with other studies on PTSD in warchildren, there is a persisting high prevalence of war-associated PTSD symptoms in this sample. Despite some methodological limitations, our data underline the urgent need for further studies on the ageing group of former children of World War II.

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