Peritraumatic distress but not dissociation predicts posttraumatic stress disorder in the elderly

ABSTRACTBackground: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a severe anxiety disorder whose symptoms include re-experiencing, avoidance, and hyperarousal after a particularly intense event. In view of the aging of the population, increased clinical knowledge is required for better understanding of PTSD in the elderly. Extending previous research in this field in adults and children, the aim of our study was to assess the utility of peri-traumatic dissociation and distress as a predictor of PTSD in the elderly.Methods: A prospective longitudinal study was conducted in a consecutive cohort of subjects aged 65 years and over admitted to emergency departments after a physical assault or a road traffic accident. Peri-traumatic responses of distress and of dissociation were measured. One, 6, and 12 months after trauma exposure, PTSD symptoms and diagnosis were assessed using both a dimensional and a semistructured interview.Results: Thirty-nine male and female participants with an average age of 72.4 years were recruited. Mixed model regression analyses did not detect a significant effect of age, sex, nor time. Significant associations were detected between peri-traumatic distress and the self-report PTSD Checklist (p = 0.008), as well as the Clinician-administered PTSD scale (p = 0.03). No association was detected between peri-traumatic dissociation and PTSD.Conclusions: Peri-traumatic distress predicts PTSD symptoms and diagnosis in the elderly, thereby suggesting its systematic evaluation at the emergency department would be a worthwhile thing to do.

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Exposure to Bullying and General Psychopathology: A Prospective, Longitudinal Study

Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology ◽

10.1007/s10802-020-00760-2 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Jolien Rijlaarsdam ◽

Charlotte A. M. Cecil ◽

J. Marieke Buil ◽

Pol A. C. van Lier ◽

Edward D. Barker

Keyword(s):

Longitudinal Study ◽

Child Psychopathology ◽

Well Being ◽

Self Report ◽

General Factor ◽

Prospective Longitudinal Study ◽

General Psychopathology ◽

Parents And Children ◽

Prospective Longitudinal ◽

Internalizing And Externalizing

AbstractAlthough there is mounting evidence that the experience of being bullied associates with both internalizing and externalizing symptoms, it is not known yet whether the identified associations are specific to these symptoms, or shared between them. The primary focus of this study is to assess the prospective associations of bullying exposure with both general and specific (i.e., internalizing, externalizing) factors of psychopathology. This study included data from 6,210 children participating in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). Child bullying was measured by self-report at ages 8 and 10 years. Child psychopathology symptoms were assessed by parent-interview, using the Development and Well-being Assessment (DAWBA) at ages 7 and 13 years. Bullying exposure significantly associated with the general psychopathology factor in early adolescence. In particular, chronically victimized youth exposed to multiple forms of bullying (i.e., both overt and relational) showed higher levels of general psychopathology. Bullying exposure also associated with both internalizing and externalizing factors from the correlated-factors model. However, the effect estimates for these factors decreased considerably in size and dropped to insignificant for the internalizing factor after extracting the shared variance that belongs to the general factor of psychopathology. Using an integrative longitudinal model, we found that higher levels of general psychopathology at age 7 also associated with bullying exposure at age 8 which, in turn, associated with general psychopathology at age 13 through its two-year continuity. Findings suggest that exposure to bullying is a risk factor for a more general vulnerability to psychopathology.

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Symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Associated Risk Factors in Patients With Lung Cancer: A Longitudinal Observational Study

Integrative Cancer Therapies ◽

10.1177/1534735418807970 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 17 (4) ◽

pp. 1195-1203 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Jun Ni ◽

Jian Feng ◽

Linda Denehy ◽

Yi Wu ◽

Liqin Xu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lung Cancer ◽

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽

Observational Study ◽

Posttraumatic Stress ◽

Stress Disorder ◽

Ptsd Symptoms ◽

Newly Diagnosed ◽

Cancer Symptoms ◽

Longitudinal Observational Study ◽

Prospective Longitudinal

Purpose. This study aimed to measure symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in Chinese patients following a new diagnosis of lung cancer. Secondary aims were to explore factors at diagnosis that may predict PTSD symptoms at 6 months. Methods. This was a prospective longitudinal observational study that included 93 patients with newly diagnosed lung cancer. PTSD symptomology was assessed using the PTSD Checklist Civilian Version (PCL-C) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was assessed with the European Organisation for the Research and Treatment of Cancer questionnaire. Measures were completed at diagnosis and 6 months. Results. No patient had PTSD at baseline or 6 months as measured by a score of ⩾50 in the PCL-C. However, at diagnosis, 44% of patients had “mild” symptoms of PTSD. At 6 months, 64% of patients had “mild” and 8% had “moderate” PTSD symptoms. PTSD symptom scores significantly worsened over 6 months (mean difference [95% CI] = 7.2 [5.4 to 9.0]). Six months after diagnosis, higher PTSD scores were seen in people who at diagnosis were younger ( P = .003), had a lower smoking pack history ( P = .012), displayed less sedentary behavior ( P < .005), or initially had worse cancer symptoms, including fatigue ( P = .001) and poorer HRQoL ( P = .004). Conclusions. Mild PTSD symptoms are common in patients with lung cancer 6 months after treatment; however, a full diagnosis of PTSD is uncommon. Screening for PTSD symptoms may be considered for at-risk patients with newly diagnosed lung cancer.

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Does Self-Efficacy and Emotional Control Protect Hospital Staff From COVID-19 Anxiety and PTSD Symptoms? Psychological Functioning of Hospital Staff After the Announcement of COVID-19 Coronavirus Pandemic

Frontiers in Psychology ◽

10.3389/fpsyg.2020.552583 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 ◽

Author(s):

Monika Bidzan ◽

Ilona Bidzan-Bluma ◽

Aleksandra Szulman-Wardal ◽

Marcus Stueck ◽

Mariola Bidzan

Keyword(s):

Psychological Functioning ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Stress Disorder ◽

Hospital Staff ◽

Self Report ◽

Emotional Control ◽

Ptsd Symptoms ◽

Demographic Questionnaire ◽

General Self Efficacy

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to assess coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in the hospital staff, as well as to identify protective factors of COVID-19 anxiety once the coronavirus pandemic was announced in Poland.Methods90 healthcare workers from the hospital in Poland completed validated self-report questionnaires assessing self-efficacy, emotional control, and PTSD symptoms; a questionnaire assessing COVID-19 anxiety; and a socio-demographic questionnaire. A multiple linear regression was conducted to assess the effects of gender, being directly vs indirectly exposed to patients, and general self-efficacy on COVID-19 anxiety.ResultsThe analysis showed that female (β = −0.271, p < 0.01) healthcare professionals indirectly exposed to patients (β = −0.336, p < 0.01) and those who reported lower levels of general self-efficacy (β = −0.295, p < 0.01) have a stronger tendency to experience COVID-19 anxiety [R2 = 0.301, F(3,89) = 12.34, p < 0.01].ConclusionThe findings show the importance of self-efficacy for dealing with COVID-19 anxiety. The internal coping strategies should be introduced to healthcare workers.

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GEROFIT: IMPACT ON PTSD SYMPTOMS AMONG PARTICIPATING VETERANS WITH SELF-REPORTED PTSD

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.133 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S34-S34

Author(s):

Cathy Lee ◽

Rebecca Melrose ◽

Erin Blanchard ◽

Stacy Wilkins ◽

Steven Castle ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽

Traumatic Stress ◽

Stress Disorder ◽

Exercise Program ◽

Self Report ◽

Symptom Improvement ◽

Ptsd Symptoms ◽

Post Traumatic Stress ◽

Post Traumatic ◽

Negative Feelings

Abstract Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) increases risk of medical comorbidities in aging. The Gerofit Program is an exercise program for older Veterans that shows efficacy for physical health. We sought to determine its impact on PTSD. Veterans in Gerofit completed a self-report questionnaire at 3 and 6 months assessing effect of Gerofit on: PTSD symptoms generally, disturbing dreams, avoidance, negative feelings, and irritability. Two hundred twenty-nine Veterans completed the questionnaire. Of these, 56 (24.5%) reported PTSD. None reported worsened PTSD following Gerofit participation. At 3 months, >50% of Veterans reported symptom improvement and this was maintained over 6 months for all items (p>0.05 paired t-test). There was an increase between 3 and 6 months in the percentage who reported “improved a lot” for overall symptoms (16.7% to 22.2%), negative feelings (5.6% to 11.1%) and irritability (0% to 11.1%). Gerofit may offer an effective intervention to improve PTSD symptoms in older Veterans.

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FINANCIAL EXPLOITATION OF OLDER ADULTS: PRELIMINARY RESULTS FROM A PROSPECTIVE LONGITUDINAL STUDY

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.691 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S192-S192

Author(s):

Scott R Beach ◽

Sara J Czaja ◽

Richard Schulz ◽

David Loewenstein ◽

Peter Lichtenberg

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Older Adults ◽

Psychosocial Factors ◽

Cognitive Abilities ◽

Self Report ◽

Prospective Longitudinal Study ◽

Preliminary Results ◽

Financial Exploitation ◽

Advance Theory ◽

Prospective Longitudinal

Abstract This paper presents study design and preliminary results from a new study funded by the National Institute on Aging that is examining financial exploitation (FE) among 720 White, African-American and Hispanic adults age 60+ (240 per group; 120 age 60-79; 120 age 80+). A conceptual model linking socio-demographics, physical health, social support / integration, cognitive function, financial skills / supports, and psychosocial factors to FE is being evaluated. Three assessments (baseline, 12; 24 mos.) include: a detailed cognitive battery, web-based banking simulation tasks, scam scenarios, and a standardized battery of self-report measures assessing socio-demographic and psychosocial variables. Preliminary baseline results from ~200 participants show support for the proposed model. Exposure to sales, remote purchasing behavior, and telemarketer receptivity (scam exposure); and scam vulnerability as measured by credibility ratings of “legitimate” and “fake” scam scenarios are positively associated with reports of both stranger-initiated and trusted other FE. Older adults with smaller social networks and less social support were more likely to report both exposure and vulnerability to scams. Higher general cognitive abilities, financial skills, and numeracy; and better performance on online banking tasks correlate with less scam exposure and vulnerability. Preliminary analyses of psychosocial factors also show that more depressed, impulsive, and trusting older adults report more exposure and scam vulnerability. The paper will present updated analyses of ~500 baseline participants. Understanding multiple pathways to FE is important to advance theory and for the development of interventions to minimize risk.

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Psychological consequences of road traffic accidents for children and their mothers

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0033291703001053 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 34 (2) ◽

pp. 335-346 ◽

Cited By ~ 78

Author(s):

B. BRYANT ◽

R. MAYOU ◽

L. WIGGS ◽

A. EHLERS ◽

G. STORES

Keyword(s):

Traffic Accidents ◽

Stress Disorder ◽

Acute Stress ◽

Road Traffic ◽

Clinical Care ◽

Self Report ◽

Road Traffic Accidents ◽

Post Traumatic Stress ◽

Psychological Outcome ◽

Post Traumatic

Background. Little is known about the psychological and behavioural consequences of road traffic accidents for children. The study aimed to determine the outcome of road traffic accidents on children and their mothers.Method. A 1-year cohort study of consecutive child attenders aged 5–16 years at an Accident and Emergency Department. Data were extracted from medical notes and from interview and self-report at baseline, 3 months and 6 months.Results. The children had an excellent physical outcome. Fifteen per cent suffered acute stress disorder; 25% suffered post-traumatic stress disorder at 3 months and 18% at 6 months. Travel anxiety was frequent. Post-traumatic consequences for mothers were common.Conclusion. Psychological outcome was poor for a minority of children and associated with disability, especially for travel. There were significant family consequences. There is a need for changes in clinical care to prevent, identify and treat distressing and disabling problems.

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