Couples Facing the Birth of a Newborn with a Congenital Anomaly: PTSD Symptoms in the First Year

2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (12) ◽  
pp. 1168-1172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesca Bevilacqua ◽  
Francesco Morini ◽  
Antonio Zaccara ◽  
Chiara De Marchis ◽  
Annabella Braguglia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
First Year ◽  
Stressful Situation ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Impact Of Event Scale ◽  
Event Scale ◽  
Stress Symptoms ◽  
Parental Gender ◽  
Set Up ◽  
The Impact

Objective The objective of this study was to assess the presence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in parental couples of newborn requiring early surgery at 6 and 12 months after birth. Study Design A longitudinal study was set up from January 2014 to June 2015. As a measure of PTSD, we used the Italian version of the Impact of Event Scale—Revised (IES-R). Results Thirty-four couples form the object of the study. At 6 months, half of mothers (52.9%) and fathers (44.1%) reported traumatic stress symptoms above the clinical cutoff. Percentages remained stable at 12 months. When parental gender and length of follow-up were compared with two-factor analysis of variance, none had an impact on IES-R score, nor an interaction between these factors was found. A significant correlation of IES-R total score was present within the couple both at 6 and 12 months (6 months—r: 0.6842, p < 0.0001 and 12 months—r: 0.4045, p = 0.0177). Conclusion Having a child with a repaired malformation represents a complex prolonged stressful situation with persistent burden for both parents who are at high risk of developing PTSD symptoms.

Perpetration-induced Traumatic Stress in Persons Who Euthanize Nonhuman Animals in Surgeries, Animal Shelters, and Laboratories

2005 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 201-220 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pauleen Bennett ◽  
Vanessa Rohlf
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Impact Of Event Scale ◽  
Event Scale ◽  
Stress Symptoms ◽  
Nonhuman Animals ◽  
Related Stress ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Traumatic Symptoms

AbstractThis study explored possible identification of Perpetration-induced Traumatic Stress (PITS) in workers whose occupations required euthanizing nonhuman animals and determining whether event or person-related factors influenced symptoms. The sample included 148 animal workers: veterinarians, veterinary nurses, and research and animal shelter staff. The Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) assessed traumatic stress. Experimenters constructed additional scales measuring satisfaction with social support, participation in various types of training, and concern over animal death. More than 70% of participants reported affinity toward animals had strongly influenced their occupation selection. Half the sample perceived animal death—particularly euthanasia—as one of the least desirable jobs. Of the sample, 11% reported experiencing moderate levels of traumatic symptoms. The study found lower levels of euthanasia-related stress were associated with increased satisfaction with social support and length of time working with animals. Those who reported high levels of concern about animal death reported higher levels of euthanasia-related stress. The study found occupational context was not associated with different levels of euthanasia-related stress symptoms—even though reasons for administering euthanasia differed significantly between occupations.

Analogue PTSD Symptoms are Best Predicted by State Rumination

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 192-213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Holz ◽  
Johanna Lass-Hennemann ◽  
Tanja Michael
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Film Clip ◽  
Physiological Factors ◽  
Impact Of Event Scale ◽  
Event Scale ◽  
Key Variables ◽  
Physiological Risk ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Underlying Risk

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a severe mental disorder characterized by distressing intrusions. Since not all traumatized individuals develop PTSD, it is important to understand its underlying risk factors. So far, several psychological and physiological risk factors have been identified. However, these factors have rarely been examined together. An excellent tool to assess analogue PTSD in a prospective manner is the trauma film paradigm. This study examined relevant psychological and physiological factors in 60 healthy participants before, during and after the presentation of a “traumatic” film clip, including rumination, dissociation, anxiety, mood, cortisol and psychophysiology measures. Moreover, we assessed intrusions and administered the Impact of Event Scale – Revised (IES-R) for one week following the “trauma”. Surprisingly, the only significant predictor for both intrusion frequency and IES-R was rumination about the film (state rumination). Furthermore, intrusion distress was predicted by both state rumination and an increase in anxiety after the film clip. Our study highlights the relevance of rumination in PTSD. Further well designed clinical studies with PTSD patients should investigate these key variables prospectively to confirm our findings.

Is Acknowledgment of Trauma a Protective Factor?

2009 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 249-254 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Maercker ◽  
Marija Povilonyte ◽  
Raichat Lianova ◽  
Karin Pöhlmann
Keyword(s):  
Protective Factor ◽  
Traumatic Events ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Impact Of Event Scale ◽  
Event Scale ◽  
Potentially Traumatic Events ◽  
Causal Direction ◽  
The Impact

We assessed victims’ status and its relation to self-perceived “social acknowledgment as a victim or survivor” ( Maercker & Müller, 2004 ) in a sample of Chechen refugees living in camps in Ingushetia. A total of 61 Chechen refugees were surveyed using a war-related trauma checklist, the Impact of Event Scale-Revised, and the Disclosure of Trauma Questionnaire. Rates of potentially traumatic events and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) appeared to be very high in this sample: 100% reported one or more potentially traumatic events and over 75% were estimated to have PTSD. As expected, social acknowledgment as a victim or survivor was negatively related to PTSD symptoms. We discuss the possible causal direction of this finding. Our cross-sectional study provides further evidence that social acknowledgment should be regarded as a protective or resource factor in the aftermath of trauma.

The EMDR Protocol for Recent Critical Incidents: Brief Report of an Application in a Human Massacre Situation

2011 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 156-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ignacio Jarero ◽  
Susana Uribe
Keyword(s):  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Critical Incidents ◽  
Attorney General ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Natural Setting ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Impact Of Event Scale ◽  
Event Scale ◽  
Delayed Treatment ◽  
The Impact

This ongoing field study was conducted subsequent to the discovery of clandestine graves with 218 bodies recovered in the Mexican state of Durango in April 2011. A preliminary psychometric assessment was conducted with the 60 State Attorney General employees who were working with the corpses to establish a triage criterion and provide baseline measures. The Impact of Event Scale (IES) and the short posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) rating interview were administered, and the 32 individuals whose scores indicated moderate-to-severe posttraumatic stress and PTSD symptoms were treated with the eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) Protocol for Recent Critical Incidents (EMDR-PRECI). Participants were assigned to two groups: immediate treatment (severe scores) and waitlist/delayed treatment (moderate scores). Each individual client session lasted between 90 and 120 minutes. Results showed that one session of EMDR-PRECI produced significant improvement on self-report measures of posttraumatic stress and PTSD symptoms for both the immediate treatment and waitlist/delayed treatment groups. This study provides preliminary evidence in support of the protocol’s efficacy in a natural setting of a human massacre situation to a group of traumatized adults working under extreme stressors. More controlled research is recommended to evaluate further the protocol’s efficacy.

Evaluating the EMDR Group Traumatic Episode Protocol With Refugees: A Field Study

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 129-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Lehnung ◽  
Elan Shapiro ◽  
Melanie Schreiber ◽  
Arne Hofmann
Keyword(s):  
Field Study ◽  
Preliminary Evidence ◽  
Impact Of Event Scale ◽  
Event Scale ◽  
Group Settings ◽  
Stress Symptoms ◽  
Kolmogorov Smirnov ◽  
Traumatic Episode ◽  
Arabic Speaking ◽  
The Impact

In 2015, more than 1.5 million refugees arrived in Germany, many severely traumatized. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy has been proven to be an effective treatment for acute and chronic traumatic stress symptoms. A modification for provision in group settings was developed by E. Shapiro: the EMDR Group Traumatic Episode Protocol (G-TEP). In this field study, we investigated the effectiveness of 2 sessions of EMDR G-TEP in treating traumatized refugees. After receiving a psychoeducation session, 18 Arabic-speaking refugees from Syria and Iraq who had come to Germany during the previous 5 months were assigned to treatment and/or waitlist. The Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were administered at pre- and posttreatment. Analysis was conducted using the Mann–Whitney U test and planned Kolmogorov–Smirnov tests. Results showed significant differences between the treatment and the waitlist groups, indicating a significant decline in IES-R scores (p < .05). Although differences in BDI scores did not reach significance (p = .06), a large decline in BDI scores was seen in the treatment group. These results provide preliminary evidence that it might be effective to treat groups of traumatized refugees with EMDR G-TEP.

The EMDR Integrative Group Treatment Protocol: Application With Adults During Ongoing Geopolitical Crisis

2010 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 148-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ignacio Jarero ◽  
Lucina Artigas
Keyword(s):  
Group Treatment ◽  
Treatment Protocol ◽  
Central American ◽  
Impact Of Event Scale ◽  
Event Scale ◽  
Central American Country ◽  
Disaster Survivors ◽  
Subjective Unit ◽  
The Impact

The eye movement desensitization and reprocessing Integrative Group Treatment Protocol (EMDR-IGTP) has been used in its original format or with adaptations to meet the circumstances in numerous settings around the world for thousands of disaster survivors after natural or man-made incidents. In this study, the EMDR-IGTP was applied during three consecutive days to a group of 20 adults during ongoing geopolitical crisis in a Central American country in 2009. Results in this uncontrolled study showed significant decreases in scores on the Subjective Unit of Disturbance Scale and the Impact of Event Scale (IES). Changes on the IES were maintained at 14 weeks follow-up even though participants were still exposed to ongoing crisis. Controlled research is recommended to further evaluate the efficacy of this intervention.

scholarly journals Investigating the effect of a nap following experimental trauma on analogue PTSD symptoms

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ines Wilhelm ◽  
Yasmine Azza ◽  
Karin Brennwald ◽  
Yamina Ehrt-Schäfer ◽  
Erich Seifritz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rem Sleep ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Traumatic Experience ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Impact Of Event Scale ◽  
Event Scale ◽  
Intrusive Memories ◽  
Experimental Trauma ◽  
The Impact

AbstractCognitive models assume that the incomplete integration of a traumatic experience into the autobiographical memory results in typical symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) such as intrusive re-experiencing. Sleep supports the integration of new experiences into existing memory networks through memory consolidation. In fifty-six females, we investigated whether a 90-min daytime nap (n = 33) compared to a wake period (n = 23) after being exposed to an experimental trauma (i.e. a trauma film) prevents PTSD analogue symptoms. Intrusive memories were recorded for seven days using a diary, overall PTSD symptoms were assessed using the Impact of Event Scale (IES-R) and affective response to trauma cues were measured one week after experimental trauma. The two groups did not differ in any of the analogue PTSD symptoms. However, participants obtaining rapid eye movement (REM) sleep in the nap experienced less distressing intrusive memories. Moreover, the duration of REM sleep and slow wave activity was negatively correlated with analogue PTSD symptoms. Our findings suggest that even a short sleep period after experimental trauma can play a protective role in trauma memory formation but only if the nap contains REM sleep. Our data provide additional evidence for a critical role of REM sleep in PTSD development.

scholarly journals Personal experience, posttraumatic symptomatology, and meaning in life during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Y. Arredondo ◽  
B. Caparrós
Keyword(s):  
Meaning In Life ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Personal Meaning ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Subjective Distress ◽  
Impact Of Event Scale ◽  
Event Scale ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Posttraumatic Symptomatology

Abstract Background The traumatic subjective distress and personal meaning in life were examined in the context of the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic sanitary crisis and home lockdown. Method: A total of 543 participants answered an online survey that included questions about the individual characteristics of the pandemic experience, the Impact of Event Scale-Revised, and the Personal Meaning Profile-Brief. Results: Nearly all of life impaired areas, having the suspicion of being ill with COVID-19, having lost a close person to this virus, and having been accompanied during the lockdown were experiences associated with higher PTSD symptoms. Posttraumatic symptomatology was inversely correlated with areas of meaning in life. Lastly, a higher number of affected areas and a negative subjective lockdown circumstance explained greater total PTSD symptoms. Conclusion: Specific pandemic experiences and lockdown circumstances affected the presence of posttraumatic symptoms. The personal meaning of life seems to be involved in the process of less adverse traumatic consequences.

scholarly journals Assessment of intensity of posttraumatic stress symptoms in parents of children with blood cancer at different time points following diagnosis

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 267-273
Author(s):  
Ewelina Chrapek ◽  
◽  
Agnieszka Gmitrowicz ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Psychological Intervention ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms ◽  
Impact Of Event Scale ◽  
Event Scale ◽  
Time Points ◽  
Stress Symptoms ◽  
Study Results ◽  
One Year ◽  
The Impact

In the recent years, there has been a remarkable progress in treatment of cancer in children. Nevertheless, it still remains a disease that represents a real threat to a child’s life. This threat as well as a deep fear for a child’s life which is strongly associated with it have a key impact on psychological difficulties experienced by parents at the time of establishing their child’s diagnosis and throughout therapy. Aim: The study was focused on assessment of the dynamics of posttraumatic symptoms intensity in parents of children suffering from blood cancers depending on a period of time that passed since the moment the disease was diagnosed. Materials and methods: A prospective study model was applied – the parents were assessed at three time points, i.e. up to one month (t1), six months (t2) and one year (t3) following their child’s diagnosis. The study included 47 parents of children diagnosed with leukaemia or lymphoma. The number of the subjects taking part in successive measurements was 32 (t2) and 31 (t3), respectively. The Impact of Event Scale – Revised (IES-R) was used to assess severity of posttraumatic stress symptoms in the parents. Results: Severity of posttraumatic stress symptoms in the parents decreased within one year following their child’s diagnosis. An analysis of intensity of particular dimensions of posttraumatic stress at the successive time points revealed their variability. The level of symptoms related to avoidance did not decrease significantly in the period between one and six months following the diagnosis, or between six months and one year following the diagnosis. Conclusions: The study results provide grounds for putting forward of recommendations concerning diagnostic and therapeutic measures. At the time of diagnosis, parents should be provided with special psychological intervention, whereas, at next stages of a child’s treatment, therapists should focus their attention mostly on avoidance symptoms and the role they play in the process of parents’ adaptation to their child’s illness.

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