scholarly journals Experiences with traumatic events, consequences and care among people with visual impairment and post-traumatic stress disorder: a qualitative study from The Netherlands

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. e041469
Author(s):  
Alida J van der Ham ◽  
Hilde P A van der Aa ◽  
Peter Verstraten ◽  
Ger H M B van Rens ◽  
Ruth M A van Nispen
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Visual Impairment ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Events ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Stress Reactions ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Post Traumatic

ObjectiveHaving a visual impairment is known to be associated with an increased vulnerability to (potentially) traumatic events. Little is known about how people with visual impairment experience and process such events. This qualitative study aimed to provide more insight into experiences with traumatic events, consequences of traumatic events and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)-related care among people with visual impairment and PTSD.MethodsEighteen persons with visual impairment and (a history of) PTSD were interviewed. Among them were 14 women and 4 men aged between 23 and 66 years. Recruitment of participants was done through health professionals from two low-vision service centres and a patient association for people with eye diseases and visual impairment in The Netherlands. Interviews focused on experiences with (1) traumatic events, (2) consequences of traumatic events and (3) PTSD-related care. Thematic content analysis of interview data was performed using ATLAS.ti. The COnsolidated criteria for REporting Qualitative research (COREQ) checklist was used to check for completeness and transparency of the study. Data were collected between 2018 and 2020.ResultsThe most commonly reported traumatic events were sexual and physical abuse. Many participants experienced that their impairment had negatively affected their acceptance by others, independence and self-esteem, increasing their vulnerability for traumatic events. Additionally, having a visual impairment negatively impacted participants’ ability to respond to situations and aggravated post-traumatic stress reactions. Existing treatments seem suitable for people with visual impairment when accommodated to the impairment.ConclusionsHaving a visual impairment may affect traumatic events and post-traumatic stress reactions, particularly by contributing to low self-esteem, problems in social interactions and a lack of visual information. Insights from this study provide starting points for adapting pretraumatic and post-traumatic care to the needs of people with visual impairment.

scholarly journals Post-traumatic stress disorder in people with learning disability

2001 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 163-169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane McCarthy
Keyword(s):  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Acute Stress ◽  
Traumatic Events ◽  
Life Time ◽  
Stress Reactions ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Personality Changes ◽  
Post Traumatic

It is well recognised that traumatic events can cause psychological disorders in those who experience them. The most common disorders suffered are depression and substance misuse; others include acute stress reactions, anxiety states and personality changes. One disorder following trauma that has received considerable attention over the past 20 years is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD occurs in 20–30% of people exposed to traumatic events and the prevalence in the general population is 1% (Helzer et al, 1987), with life-time prevalence of 9.2%.

Post-traumatic stress disorder

2012 ◽  
pp. 700-713
Author(s):  
Anke Ehlers
Keyword(s):  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Events ◽  
Stress Reactions ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Shell Shock ◽  
Survivor Syndrome ◽  
War Neurosis ◽  
Post Traumatic

Clinicians have long noted that traumatic events can lead to severe psychological disturbance. At the end of the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth centuries, railway disasters, the World Wars, and the Holocaust prompted systematic descriptions of the symptoms associated with traumatic stress reactions. These include the spontaneous re-experiencing of aspects of the traumatic events, startle responses, irritability, impairment in concentration and memory, disturbed sleep, distressing dreams, depression, phobias, guilt, psychic numbing, and multiple somatic symptoms. A variety of labels were used to describe these reactions including ‘fright neurosis’, ‘combat/war neurosis’, ‘shell shock’, ‘survivor syndrome’, and ‘nuclearism’. This chapter covers clinical features of post-traumatic stress disorder, classification, diagnosis and differential diagnosis, epidemiology, prevalence, comorbidity of PTSD with other disorders, aetiology, course and prognosis, treatment, and finally advice on management.

Prevention of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arieh Y. Shalev ◽  
Anna C. Barbano ◽  
Wei Qi ◽  
Charles R. Marmar
Keyword(s):  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Early Development ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Events ◽  
Trauma Exposure ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Post Traumatic

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) follows an exposure to traumatic events and as such its onset and early development are better charted then those of most other mental disorders. It is not surprising, therefore, that major efforts have been dedicated to preventing its occurrence before, during and after trauma exposure. This chapter discusses the rationale, desirability, feasibility and outcome of interventions designed to prevent PTSD. Several efficient interventions have been documented. Barriers to their early implementations, however, greatly reduce their effectiveness and require urgent attention.

scholarly journals Post-traumatic stress disorder, resilience and vulnerability

2007 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 369-375 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayesha S. Ahmed
Keyword(s):  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Events ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
War Experiences

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), recognised as a diagnostic entity in 1980, was originally associated with combat or war experiences. It has since been recognised that it is prevalent in any population exposed to traumatic events. Although much has been written about the management of PTSD, the concepts of resilience and vulnerability have not received the same attention. This article reviews the conceptualisation, epidemiology and comorbidities of PTSD and highlights the factors underlying vulnerability and conveying resilience.

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