The Influence of Event and Reaction Context on Clinicians’ Disorder Diagnoses

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 203-215 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erienne R. Weine ◽  
Nancy S. Kim
Keyword(s):  
Life Events ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Event ◽  
Behavioral Symptoms ◽  
Stressful Event ◽  
Major Depressive ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Vignette Study ◽  
Reaction Severity

Clinicians’ judgments about clients can be influenced by the causal context (e.g., life events) preceding behavioral symptoms. However, it is unclear whether this influence extends to diagnosis judgments. In diagnosing Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), traumatic event context must be present, and severe immediate reaction context was formerly required for many years. In a vignette study, we systematically examined whether event and reaction severity influence clinicians’ open-ended diagnoses of PTSD behaviors, Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) behaviors, and nondisordered behaviors. Clinicians made more diagnoses of PTSD for all three types of behaviors (PTSD, MDD, distressed) given a traumatic event than a mildly stressful event but simultaneously found the behaviors to be less abnormal. We found no evidence that reaction context influenced diagnoses. Future directions and the role of causal context in clinical diagnosis are discussed.

Biological Underpinnings of Health Alterations in Women With PTSD: A Sex Disparity

2005 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica M. Gill ◽  
Sarah L. Szanton ◽  
Gayle G. Page
Keyword(s):  
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Immune Response ◽  
Major Depressive Disorder ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Neuroendocrine System ◽  
Major Depressive ◽  
Fourfold Increase ◽  
Sex Disparity ◽  
Th1 Immune Response

Women develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at twice the rate of men, even though fewer women than men experience traumatic events over their lifetimes. Current studies of individuals with PTSD provide evidence of alterations in the neuroendocrine system that involve levels and activity of cortisol and DHEA and changes in immune function that predispose these individuals toward an innate (Th1) immune response. Yet few studies have addressed the possible role of these biologic alterations in women’s increased vulnerability to developing PTSD. In addition, current studies are limited in their ability to link biologic alterations to the observed fourfold increase in medical conditions in women with PTSD as compared to women without PTSD. And finally, few studies have addressed the biologic impact of co-occurring major depressive disorder (MDD) in individuals with PTSD. This critical review provides an update on neuroendocrine and immune perturbations associated with PTSD with and without cooccurring MDD to suggest links to health and possible mechanisms underlying the observed sex disparity in the development of PTSD.

The Role of Early Adverse Life Events in the Etiology of Depression and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

1997 ◽  
Vol 821 (1 Psychobiology) ◽  
pp. 194-207 ◽  
Author(s):  
CHRISTINE HEIM ◽  
MICHAEL J. OWENS ◽  
PAUL M. PLOTSKY ◽  
CHARLES B. NEMEROFF
Keyword(s):  
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Adverse Life Events

Social Desirability in the Assessment of Trauma

1996 ◽  
Vol 79 (2) ◽  
pp. 511-514 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alain Brunet ◽  
Caroline Boucher ◽  
Richard Boyer
Keyword(s):  
Life Events ◽  
Social Desirability ◽  
Traumatic Event ◽  
Traumatic Events ◽  
Bus Drivers ◽  
Moderator Variable ◽  
City Bus ◽  
Lifetime Exposure ◽  
Exposure To Trauma

Since admitting distress is often considered undesirable, the role of social desirability as a moderator variable in the assessment of traumatic events scores, on the PTSD Interview, and diagnosis was investigated. A sample of 342 city bus drivers were grouped by their lifetime exposure to trauma (nonexposed, stressful but nontraumatic event, traumatic event). Analyses replicate and extend findings from the literature on life events: social desirability plays a marginal role as a moderator variable in the assessment of trauma.

Family Models of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Candice M. Monson ◽  
Steffany J. Fredman ◽  
Rachel Dekel ◽  
Naomi Ennis ◽  
Alexandra Macdonald
Keyword(s):  
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Family Relationship ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Relationship Problems ◽  
Bidirectional Association ◽  
Family Models

This chapter reviews the extant literature on the interpersonal aspects of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with a focus on couple and family models of PTSD. Topics include the association of PTSD with a variety of family relationship problems in a range of traumatized populations. The role of relevant interpersonal constructs in the onset and maintenance of PTSD (e.g., social support, communication patterns) and the psychological effects of PTSD symptoms on family members and their interactions are discussed. In addition, models that take into account a range of relationship variables and the likely bidirectional association between individual and family functioning in PTSD are presented. Future directions for theory and research, as well as the clinical implications of this work, are outlined.

scholarly journals The role of memory in posttraumatic stress disorder: implications for clinical practice

2016 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 119-127 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcelo Montagner Rigoli ◽  
Gustavo Ramos Silva ◽  
Fernando Rainho de Oliveira ◽  
Giovanni Kuckartz Pergher ◽  
Christian Haag Kristensen
Keyword(s):  
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Event ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Theoretical Models ◽  
Social Consequences ◽  
Future Research

Abstract Introduction: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a highly prevalent disorder with important social consequences. Several models have been developed with the aim of understanding the mechanisms underlying its symptoms. Intrusions are idiosyncratic symptoms that commonly take the form of involuntary recollection of images or flashbacks about the traumatic event. Objective: To review how memory is conceptualized in each of these models and the implications for clinical practice. Methods: A narrative review of the literature was conducted through analysis of the perspectives of memory in theoretical models of PTSD. Results: Two main perspectives were identified: 1) models in which specific mechanisms of memory for processing traumatic events are proposed, especially those based on clinical studies, and 2) models in which common mnemonic mechanisms are utilized to explain the phenomenon, primarily based on basic experimental research studies investigating memory. The different theories based on these approaches have led to distinct psychotherapy interventions. Conclusion: In order to clarify these discrepancies, future research should aim for the methodological rigor of experimental studies, while maintaining the ecological applicability of findings. Cognitive experimental psychopathology is therefore an area on which research funding should be focused. Such studies could elucidate the role of mnemonic aspects in PTSD and how they impact psychological treatments.

scholarly journals Ten Surprising Facts About Stressful Life Events and Disease Risk

2019 ◽  
Vol 70 (1) ◽  
pp. 577-597 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheldon Cohen ◽  
Michael L.M. Murphy ◽  
Aric A. Prather
Keyword(s):  
Life Events ◽  
Stressful Life Events ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Stressful Life ◽  
Stressful Event ◽  
Health It ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Life Course

After over 70 years of research on the association between stressful life events and health, it is generally accepted that we have a good understanding of the role of stressors in disease risk. In this review, we highlight that knowledge but also emphasize misunderstandings and weaknesses in this literature with the hope of triggering further theoretical and empirical development. We organize this review in a somewhat provocative manner, with each section focusing on an important issue in the literature where we feel that there has been some misunderstanding of the evidence and its implications. Issues that we address include the definition of a stressful event, characteristics of diseases that are impacted by events, differences in the effects of chronic and acute events, the cumulative effects of events, differences in events across the life course, differences in events for men and women, resilience to events, and methodological challenges in the literature.

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