scholarly journals Student reactions to traumatic material in literature: Implications for trigger warnings

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. e0247579
Author(s):  
Matthew Kimble ◽  
William Flack ◽  
Jennifer Koide ◽  
Kelly Bennion ◽  
Miranda Brenneman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Emotional Reactivity ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Trauma Symptoms ◽  
Subjective Distress ◽  
Student Reactions ◽  
Exacerbation Of Symptoms ◽  
Trigger Warnings

Introduction While trigger warnings have garnered significant debate, few studies have investigated how students typically respond to potentially triggering material. Method In this study, three hundred and fifty-five undergraduate students from four universities read a passage describing incidences of both physical and sexual assault. Longitudinal measures of subjective distress, PTSD symptoms, and emotional reactivity were taken. Results Greater than 96% of participants read the triggering passage even when given a non-triggering alternative to read. Of those who read the triggering passage, those with triggering traumas did not report more distress although those with higher PTSD scores did. Two weeks later, those with trigger traumas and/or PTSD did not report an increase in trauma symptoms as a result of reading the triggering passage. Conclusions Students with relevant traumas do not avoid triggering material and the effects appear to be brief. Students with PTSD do not report an exacerbation of symptoms two weeks later as a function of reading the passage.

scholarly journals Post-traumatic stress impact on health outcomes in Gulf War Illness

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Jeffrey ◽  
Fanny Collado ◽  
Jeffrey Kibler ◽  
Christian DeLucia ◽  
Steven Messer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Gulf War ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Symptom Presentation ◽  
Trauma Symptoms ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Gulf War Illness ◽  
Cut Point ◽  
Wide Range

Abstract Background Gulf War Illness (GWI) is a chronic, multi-symptomatic disorder affecting an estimated 25–32% of the returning military veterans of the 1990–1991 Persian Gulf War. GWI presents with a wide range of symptoms including fatigue, muscle pain, cognitive problems, insomnia, rashes and gastrointestinal issues and continues to be a poorly understood illness. This heterogeneity of GWI symptom presentation complicates diagnosis as well as the identification of effective treatments. Defining subgroups of the illness may help alleviate these complications. Our aim is to determine if GWI can be divided into distinct subgroups based on PTSD symptom presentation. Methods Veterans diagnosed with GWI (n = 47) and healthy sedentary veteran controls (n = 52) were recruited through the Miami Affairs (VA) Medical Health Center. Symptoms were assessed via the RAND short form health survey (36), the multidimensional fatigue inventory, and the Davidson trauma scale. Hierarchal regression modeling was performed on measures of health and fatigue with PTSD symptoms as a covariate. This was followed by univariate analyses conducted with two separate GWI groups based on a cut-point of 70 for their total Davidson Trauma Scale value and performing heteroscedastic t-tests across all measures. Results Overall analyses returned two symptom-based subgroups differing significantly across all health and trauma symptoms. These subgroups supported PTSD symptomatology as a means to subgroup veterans. Hierarchical models showed that GWI and levels of PTSD symptoms both impact measures of physical, social, and emotional consequences of poor health (ΔR2 = 0.055–0.316). However, GWI appeared to contribute more to fatigue measures. Cut-point analysis retained worse health outcomes across all measures for GWI with PTSD symptoms compared to those without PTSD symptoms, and healthy controls. Significant differences were observed in mental and emotional measures. Conclusions Therefore, this research supports the idea that comorbid GWI and PTSD symptoms lead to worse health outcomes, while demonstrating how GWI and PTSD symptoms may uniquely contribute to clinical presentation.

College Student Commitment and Outdoor Orientation Programming

2020 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 299-316
Author(s):  
Curt Davidson ◽  
Alan Ewert
Keyword(s):  
College Student ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Emotional Reactivity ◽  
Social Activity ◽  
The United States ◽  
College Life ◽  
Self Confidence ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Reactivity Study ◽  
Outdoor Orientation

Background: Increasingly colleges and universities are utilizing Outdoor Orientation Programs (OOPs) to help incoming students assimilate into college life. These programs have shown promise in recent analyses for enhancing desired outcomes with particular consideration shown to pro-social behavior and retention outcomes. Purpose: To examine how effective OOPs are in preparing students for a successful college student experience, particularly with variables known to influence student success and commitment to college. Methodology/Approach: Data were collected from four universities across the United States. Participants in this study were 205 undergraduate students from 17 to 25 years old who self-enrolled in their respective institutions OOP. This study used the College Student Readiness Inventory to generate a hypothesis concerning the possible effects of an OOP experience concerning predictive and outcomes variables relative to college student commitment. Findings/Conclusions: Using SmartPLS, the main effects of the OOP indicated predictive relationships between Commitment to College and Goal Striving, Communication Skills, Social Activity, Emotional Reactivity, Study Skills, and Social Connection. Academic Self-Discipline, Academic Self-Confidence, and Self-Determination on Commitment to College. Implications: Study findings suggest specific connections between predicting college student commitment before and after an OOP.

Factors Associated With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptomology Among Women Who Have Experienced Sexual Assault in Canada

2019 ◽  
pp. 088626051986008
Author(s):  
Janice Du Mont ◽  
Holly Johnson ◽  
Cassandra Hill
Keyword(s):  
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Dating Violence ◽  
Sexual Victimization ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
General Social Survey ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Sexually Assaulted

There is a dearth of information about the association of victim-related and assailant-related characteristics and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among sexually assaulted women. Recently, Statistics Canada included items measuring the possible presence of PTSD symptoms in their 2014 nationally representative General Social Survey on Victimization (GSS-V), for the purpose of improving the understanding of mental health impacts associated with sexual victimization. The present study used the GSS-V to examine the association of sociodemographic, health, and assailant characteristics and prior traumatic experiences in the form of physical or sexual dating violence, physical assault, stalking, childhood abuse, and witnessing of violence between parents with PTSD symptomology among sexually assaulted women. Among 319 women who reported experiencing at least one incident of sexual assault in the 12 months prior to the survey, 68.6% had experienced at least one negative emotional impact as a result, among whom, 43.6% reported past-month PTSD symptoms. Logistic regression modeling revealed that prior traumatic events in the form of physical or sexual dating violence, stalking, and having witnessed violence between parents were associated with higher odds of experiencing PTSD symptoms, as was having been sexually assaulted by a known assailant. In contrast, the odds of experiencing PTSD symptoms was lower for Aboriginal or visible minority women. The results suggest that PTSD symptoms in the near aftermath of sexual victimization are common, and there are a range of factors that contribute to the likelihood of developing these symptoms. Implications for future research are discussed.

Effects of Life Stress and Dysphoria on Complex Judgments

1993 ◽  
Vol 72 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 1355-1363 ◽  
Author(s):  
John S. Gillis
Keyword(s):  
Life Events ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
State Anxiety ◽  
Life Stress ◽  
Focus Of Attention ◽  
Judgment Task ◽  
Judgment And Decision Making ◽  
Subjective Distress ◽  
External Sources ◽  
Two Indices

A sparse literature concerning the effects of stress on judgment and decision making has produced two tentative conclusions: (1) stress impairs judgment and (2) such impairment is often the result of the narrowing of a judge's focus of attention. While evidence supportive of these propositions exists, there have also been contradictory findings. This investigation attempted to address both of these issues. 98 undergraduate students completed a complex multiple-cue judgment task and were also assessed as to (a) their exposure to two potential sources of stress (life events and irrational thinking) and (b) the amount of personal dysphoria they were experiencing. Two indices of subjective distress, depression and state anxiety, were significantly related to poor judgmental performance. None of several indices of potential stressors confirmed a relationship, which suggests that possible external sources of stress do not negatively affect judgment unless they generate subjective distress at the time judgments are made. There was no support for the “narrowing” hypothesis.

Trauma Symptoms Resulting From Sexual Violence Among Undergraduate Students: Differences Across Gender and Sexual Minority Status

2019 ◽  
pp. 088626051985339 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geneviève Paquette ◽  
Alexa Martin-Storey ◽  
Manon Bergeron ◽  
Jacinthe Dion ◽  
Isabelle Daigneault ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Violence ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Sexual Minority ◽  
Minority Status ◽  
Trauma Symptoms

scholarly journals Differential Effects of Poor Recall and Memory Disjointedness on Trauma Symptoms

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 1032-1041 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juliane Sachschal ◽  
Elizabeth Woodward ◽  
Julia M. Wichelmann ◽  
Katharina Haag ◽  
Anke Ehlers
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Memory Recall ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Trauma Symptoms ◽  
Intrusive Memories ◽  
Processing Styles ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Healthy Participants ◽  
Poor Memory ◽  
Film Group

Clinical theories of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) suggest that trauma memories are disorganized. In the present study, we examined how trauma-film exposure affects two aspects of memory disorganization, poor memory recall and memory disjointedness, and their relationship to PTSD-like symptoms. In Session 1, 90 healthy participants were exposed to a trauma ( n = 60) or a neutral film ( n = 30). Cognitive processing styles, memory characteristics, and intrusive memories of the film were assessed. The trauma-film group reported greater memory disjointedness of the worst moments of the film but better memory recall of the film than the neutral-film group. In the trauma-film group, cognitive processing and memory disjointedness were related to intrusive memories and PTSD-like symptoms in the week after film exposure. Memory disjointedness but not poor memory recall mediated the relationship between cognitive processing and intrusions. The findings suggest that different aspects of memory disorganization need to be distinguished to explain PTSD symptoms.

“You Should Have Known Better”: The Social Ramifications of Victimization-Focused Sexual Assault Prevention Tips

2020 ◽  
pp. 088626052091365
Author(s):  
Sydney Cherniawsky ◽  
Melanie Morrison
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Social Institutions ◽  
Ambivalent Sexism ◽  
Unintended Consequences ◽  
Victim Blame ◽  
Sexual Assault Prevention ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Prevention Strategies ◽  
Assault Prevention

Common sexual assault prevention strategies emphasize individuals’ responsibility to protect themselves from victimization. Using a feminist theoretical approach, the present study was the first to assess the unintended, negative consequences that result when taking a victimization-focused approach to sexual assault prevention. Participants ( N = 321) were primarily heterosexual, Caucasian undergraduate students from a Western postsecondary institution. A between-participants experimental design was employed, whereby participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: (a) victimization-focused prevention tips ( n = 114; e.g., “Be alert and aware of your surroundings”); (b) perpetration-focused prevention tips ( n = 103; e.g., “Don’t slip any unwanted substances into drinks at bars or parties”); or (c) study tips for control purposes ( n = 104; e.g., “Take a ten-minute break every hour”). Following prevention tip exposure, participants read a sexual assault vignette and completed measures of victim culpability and several related constructs (i.e., ambivalent sexism, belief in a just world, and rape myth acceptance). Results indicated that participants who received victimization-focused prevention tips attributed significantly more blame to the victimized woman in the vignette than participants in both the control condition and perpetration-focused condition. Based on these results, it is recommended that social institutions further evaluate the efficacy and unintended consequences of prevalent victimization-focused sexual assault prevention strategies. Specifically, institutions should consider the implications of endorsing strategies that are evidenced to enhance victim blame, thereby perpetuating rape culture. Prevention strategies that engage bystanders and seek to prevent perpetration should be considered as an alternative approach.

Facilitating Sexual Assault Reporting on the College Campus: The Role of Procedural Justice in Bystander Decisions to Provide Police Referrals

2020 ◽  
pp. 107780122095428
Author(s):  
Tri Keah S. Henry ◽  
Travis W. Franklin ◽  
Cortney A. Franklin
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Procedural Justice ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Binary Logistic Regression ◽  
The United States ◽  
Logistic Regression Models ◽  
Race 2 ◽  
Sexual Assault Reporting

Using a randomly assigned 2 (victim race) × 2 (alcohol consumption) between-subjects factorial design, this study used surveys from a sample of 571 undergraduate students at a mid-sized, public university in the United States to determine the effect of procedural justice on police referral after reading a sexual assault disclosure vignette. Multivariate binary logistic regression models demonstrated that positive perceptions of procedural justice increased police referral following sexual assault disclosure. Victim alcohol consumption and rape myth acceptance decreased police referral. Victim race, victim alcohol consumption, and participant sex did not moderate the effect of procedural justice on police referral. Implications are discussed.

scholarly journals Examining the Association between Trauma Exposure and Work-Related Outcomes in Women Veterans

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (12) ◽  
pp. 4585
Author(s):  
Megan E. Sienkiewicz ◽  
Aneline Amalathas ◽  
Katherine M. Iverson ◽  
Brian N. Smith ◽  
Karen S. Mitchell
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Employment Status ◽  
Women Veterans ◽  
Trauma Exposure ◽  
Depression Symptoms ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Occupational Functioning ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Military Trauma ◽  
Trauma Types

Women veterans have high rates of trauma exposure, including military sexual trauma (MST), which are associated with numerous health and psychosocial consequences. However, associations between trauma history and work-related outcomes are less well-characterized. We examined whether military-related and non-military trauma types were associated with work-related outcomes and whether posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression symptoms mediated these associations. A total of 369 women veterans completed up to two mailed surveys, 12 months apart, assessing trauma exposure, depression and PTSD symptoms, occupational functioning, and employment status (unemployed, out of the workforce, employed). Participants reported high rates of trauma exposure. Nearly half (47.5%) were out of the workforce. Military-related trauma, military sexual assault, and adult sexual assault were associated with worse occupational functioning. Only PTSD symptoms mediated associations between trauma types and occupational functioning. No trauma types were significantly directly associated with employment status; however, PTSD and depression symptoms mediated associations between trauma types and being out of the workforce. Findings can inform screening for military trauma exposures, mental health, and work-related needs among women veterans.

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