scholarly journals Prevalence of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms Among Psychiatric Patients during the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lirong Tang ◽  
Yue Gao ◽  
Shuangyi Qi ◽  
Jie Cui ◽  
Li Zhou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Associated Factors ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Psychiatric Patients ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Associated Factor ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background: The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has caused extensive public health concerns, posing significant challenges to healthcare services. One particular area of concern is the mental health of psychiatric patients, who are often a neglected group. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of, and associated factors for symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among psychiatric patients in China during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Self-reported questionnaires were distributed to patients in four psychiatric hospitals in Beijing, China, between April 28th and May 30th, 2020. Information regarding sociodemographic characteristics, COVID-19 related factors, support, psychosomatic factors, and PTSD symptoms was collected data using a series of scales, such as the Impact of Event Scale-Revised, the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale, the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire depression scale, and so on. Multivariate regression was used to identify factors related to PTSD symptoms. Results: A total of 1,055 psychiatric patients were included in the final sample. The prevalence of PTSD symptoms was 41.3%. Hierarchical linear regression demonstrated that fear of the pandemic and anxiety were shared associated factors for both symptoms of PTSD and its subscales. Additionally, age was an associated factor for the total PTSD (β = 0.12, p < 0.01), intrusion (β = 0.18, p < 0.001), and avoidance (β = 0.1, p < 0.05) symptoms; depression was an associated factor for the total PTSD s (β = 0.13, p < 0.001), intrusion (β = 0.11, p < 0.01), and hyperarousal (β = 0.19, p < 0.001) symptoms. Conclusions: The prevalence of PTSD symptoms was high among psychiatric patients during the COVID-19 pandemic in China. This study found that age, fear of the pandemic, anxiety and depression are significant associated factors of PTSD symptoms in psychiatric patients during the pandemic. We call for higher awareness and introduction of PTSD interventions to relieve the psychological stress in these patients.

scholarly journals The Impact of Co-occurring Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Substance Use Disorders on Craving: A Systematic Review of the Literature

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabien Renaud ◽  
Louise Jakubiec ◽  
Joel Swendsen ◽  
Melina Fatseas
Keyword(s):  
Substance Use ◽  
Substance Use Disorders ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
Dual Disorder ◽  
The Impact

The frequent co-occurrence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorders (SUDs) leads to manifestations of both conditions that are more severe and more resistance to treatment than single disorders. One hypothesis to explain this synergy is the impact of intrusive memories on craving which, in turn, increases the risk of relapse among patients with substance use disorders. The aim of this systematic review is to examine this possibility by assessing the impact of PTSD and its symptoms on craving among dual disorder patients. Using PRISMA criteria, four databases were comprehensively searched up to June, 2021, in order to identify all candidate studies based on broad key words. Resulting studies were then selected if they examined the impact of PTSD or PTSD symptoms on craving, and if they used standardized assessments of PTSD, SUD, and craving. Twenty-seven articles matched the selection criteria and were included in this review. PTSD was found to be significantly associated with increased craving levels among patients with alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, tobacco, and other substance use disorders. Exposition to traumatic cues among dual disorder patients was also shown to trigger craving, with an additive effect on craving intensity when exposure to substance-related cues occurred. In addition, certain studies observed a correlation between PTSD symptom severity and craving intensity. Concerning mechanisms underlying these associations, some findings suggest that negative emotional states or emotion dysregulation may play a role in eliciting craving after traumatic exposure. Moreover, these studies suggest that PTSD symptoms may, independently of emotions, act as powerful cues that trigger craving. These findings argue for the need of dual disorder treatment programs that integrate PTSD-focused approaches and emotion regulation strategies, in addition to more traditional interventions for craving management.

scholarly journals Psychological Impacts and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder among People under COVID-19 Quarantine and Isolation: A Global Survey

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (11) ◽  
pp. 5719
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Religious Practice ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Event Scale ◽  
Psychological Impacts ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
The Impact

Understanding the presence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in quarantined/isolated individuals is essential for decreasing morbidity and mortality caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there is a paucity of evidence quantifying PTSD status globally during confinement in quarantine/isolation facilities during COVID-19. Therefore, we aimed to assess the PTSD status and factors contributing to PTSD development in quarantined/isolated people during pandemic. Using the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) scale, our multicentre, multinational, and cross-sectional online survey assessed the psychological impacts on the quarantine/isolation experience of participants suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19, their PTSD status, and various correlates with developing PTSD. We had 944 (35.33%) valid responses (51.1% from females), mostly from Asian countries (635, 71.4%), and 33.9% were healthcare workers. The number of quarantine days in the PTSD symptoms group (using the IES-R cutoff of 24 for symptomatic or full PTSD) was significantly shorter compared to the non-PTSD group (14 (range 14–40) vs. 14 (14–23.75), p = 0.031). Lower rates of PTSD symptoms were observed in participants practicing Buddhist religion than in participants having no religion (OR: 0.30; 95% CI: 0.13–0.68; p = 0.005); individuals with vocational training had a higher risk of developing PTSD symptoms (OR: 2.28 (1.04–5.15); p = 0.043) compared to university graduates. Individuals forced to be quarantined/isolated had higher odds of developing PTSD symptoms than those voluntarily quarantined/isolated (OR: 2.92 (1.84–4.74); p < 0.001). We identified several PTSD correlations among individuals quarantined/isolated during the COVID-19 pandemic, including religious practice, reason for quarantine/isolation, education level, and being a case of the infection. These findings can inform worldwide policies to minimize the adverse effects of such social control measures.

scholarly journals Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and associated factors among adolescents after 2015 Nepal Earthquake

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-55
Author(s):  
Durga Mishra ◽  
Deena Giri ◽  
Sujan Babu Marahatta
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Associated Factors ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Great Earthquake ◽  
Lower Grade ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
The Impact

Background: On April 25, 2015 at 11:56 local time, a great earthquake of massive magnitude-7.8 trembler was experienced in Nepal. Along with the physical and economical loss, such disasters can have devastating consequences in adolescent’s mental health. The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and associated factors among adolescents after 2015 Nepal Earthquake.Methods: A total of 140 adolescents from grade 8, 9 and 10 of two higher secondary schools were recruited in this study. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder CheckList-5 (PCL-5) of DSM-V criteria was used for the diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Chi-square test was used to assess the association.Results: Among 140 adolescents, the age range was 12 to 19 years with a mean age of 14.8 (SD=1.1) where 27.1% of the participants had Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.  A statistically significant association was found between Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and grade (χ² = 9.324, p<0.01), earthquake exposure (χ² =32.251, p<0.001) and death of someone close in earthquake (χ² = 9.535, p<0.01). Majority of the respondents reported symptoms of avoiding memories, thoughts, or feelings related to the stressful experience (58.57%).Conclusions: This study hopes to assist the therapist, psychiatrists and planners in the design and implementation of effective and appropriate intervention programs that can help reduce the impact of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder on adolescents, aid in psychological reconstruction and decrease the long term negative mental health consequences of such disasters especially for those who are at lower grade, were exposed to earthquake and lost their close people in the earthquake.Journal of Manmohan Memorial Institute of Health SciencesVol. 3, No. 1, 2017, page: 45-55

Sleep duration and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms: a twin study

SLEEP ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 42 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine A McCall ◽  
Eric Turkheimer ◽  
Siny Tsang ◽  
Ally Avery ◽  
Glen E Duncan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sleep Duration ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Genetic Factors ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Twin Model ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Study Objectives Long and short sleep duration are associated with greater risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); however, it is unknown how genetic and environmental influences affect this relationship. Thus, we investigated the association between sleep duration and PTSD symptoms using twin models. Methods Data were obtained from 1865 monozygotic and 758 dizygotic twin pairs enrolled in the community-based Washington State Twin Registry. PTSD symptoms were assessed using the Impact of Events Scale (IES). A classical twin model decomposed the variances of sleep duration and IES score into additive genetic, shared environmental, and unique environmental components. We used correlated factor models to examine the moderation of variance components of sleep duration and IES. Results Shorter and longer sleep duration were associated with higher IES scores with a quadratic association (p &lt; 0.001). The heritability of sleep duration was 36%, and IES 31%. Variance in sleep duration attributable to shared (b1C1 = 2.91, 95% CI = 1.40 to 4.43; p &lt; 0.001) and unique (b1E1 = 0.18, 95% CI = 0.10 to 0.27; p &lt; 0.001) environment was moderated by IES score. Similarly, but to a lesser extent, variance in IES attributable to additive genetics (b1A2 = −0.23, 95% CI = −0.45 to 0.00; p = 0.048) was moderated by sleep duration. Conclusions Greater PTSD symptom severity was associated with short and long sleep duration. Increasing PTSD symptoms increased variability in sleep duration primarily via shared environmental factors, whereas decreasing sleep duration increased variability in PTSD symptoms primarily via additive genetic factors. This suggests childhood experiences affect variability of sleep duration and genetic factors affect the variability of PTSD symptoms in trauma-exposed individuals.

Trauma exposure and post-traumatic stress disorder among regional journalists in Pakistan

Journalism ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 146488492096578
Author(s):  
Sayyed Fawad Ali Shah ◽  
Faizullah Jan ◽  
Tamar Ginossar ◽  
J. Patrick McGrail ◽  
Danish Baber ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Trauma Exposure ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Emotional Coping ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
The Impact

This study sought to examine work-related exposure to trauma and predictors of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms among regional journalists in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, a conflict-ridden area in northwest Pakistan. We recruited 216 KP journalists. Analysis of the surveys revealed a high prevalence of trauma exposure and PTSD symptoms. All of the participants had covered at least one trauma inducing event. Exposure to work-related trauma, active emotional coping and avoidant emotional coping were statistically significant factors associated with PTSD symptoms. This study is the first to highlight the severity of the impact of trauma on regional journalists in Pakistan.

scholarly journals Military-Tailored Yoga for Veterans with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder†

2018 ◽  
Vol 183 (5-6) ◽  
pp. e223-e231 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin E Cushing ◽  
Kathryn L Braun ◽  
Susan W Alden, C-IAYT ◽  
Alan R Katz
Keyword(s):  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Military Service ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Ptsd Symptomatology

Abstract Introduction Among veterans of post-9/11 conflicts, estimates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) range from 9% shortly after returning from deployment to 31% a year after deployment. Clinical and pharmaceutically based treatments are underutilized. This could be due to concerns related to lost duty days, as well as PTSD patients’ fears of stigma of having a mental health condition. Yoga has been shown to reduce PTSD symptoms in the civilian population, but few studies have tested the impact of yoga on veterans of post-9/11 conflicts. The purpose of this study is to test the impact of yoga on post-9/11 veterans diagnosed with PTSD. Materials and Methods Participants were 18 yr of age or older and veterans of post-9/11 conflicts. They had subthreshold or diagnostic-level PTSD related to their combat military service, as determined by a score of 30 or higher on the PTSD Checklist-Military version (PCL-M). Veterans participated in 60-min weekly yoga sessions for 6 wk taught by a Warriors at Ease-trained yoga instructor who is a, post-9/11 veteran. The yoga sessions incorporated Vinyasa-style yoga and a trauma-sensitive, military-culture informed approach advocated by two separate organizations: Warriors at Ease and Meghan's Foundation. Data were collected at baseline and again after 7 wk. The primary outcome was PCL-M score. Participants also completed the Patient Health Questionnaire, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale at both time points. Results Eighteen Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New Dawn veterans completed the pre- and post-intervention self-report questionnaires. Age ranged from 26 to 62 yr (median = 43 yr), length of service ranged from 2 to 34 yr (median = 18.8 yr), and 13 (72.2%) had completed college. Decreased PTSD symptomatology was demonstrated in the three-symptom clusters represented in the PCL-M (i.e., hyperarousal, re-experiencing, and avoidance). In addition, the total score on the PCL-M decreased significantly, by both statistical and clinical measures. The participants also demonstrated improved mindfulness scores and reported decreased insomnia, depression, and anxiety symptoms. Conclusion This study demonstrates that a trauma-sensitive yoga intervention may be effective for veterans with PTSD symptoms, whether as stand-alone or adjunctive therapy. The impressive decrease in PTSD symptomatology may be due to the tailored military-specific nature of this intervention and the fact that it was led by a veteran of post-9/11 conflicts. More research is needed with a larger sample and a more diverse veteran population.

scholarly journals Exploring the impact of COVID-19 and restrictions to daily living as a result of social distancing within veterans with pre-existing mental health difficulties

2020 ◽  
pp. bmjmilitary-2020-001622 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dominic Murphy ◽  
C Williamson ◽  
J Baumann ◽  
W Busuttil ◽  
N T Fear
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Mental Health Difficulties ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
The Impact

IntroductionData are emerging showing the adverse consequences on mental health of the general public due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Little is known about the needs of veterans with pre-existing mental health difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsData were collected through a cross-sectional online survey from a randomly selected sample (n=1092) of military veterans who have sought help for mental health difficulties from a veteran-specific UK-based charity. The response rate was 25.2% (n=275). Participants were asked to complete a range of standardised mental health outcomes (post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist, common mental health difficulties (CMDs): 12-Item General Health Questionnaire, difficulties with anger: 5-Item Dimensions of Anger Reactions—Revised and alcohol misuse: Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test) and endorse a list of potential stressors related to changes to daily life resulting from COVID-19. Regression analyses were fitted to explore predictors of mental health severity.ResultsIt was observed that symptoms of common mental disorder and PTSD (69.3% and 65.0%, respectively) were the most commonly reported to have been exacerbated by the pandemic. Lack of social support and reporting increasing numbers of stressors related to COVID-19 were consistently associated with increasing severity of a range of mental health difficulties.ConclusionsOur findings suggest veterans who had pre-existing mental health difficulties prior to the outbreak of COVID-19 may be at increased risk of experiencing CMDs as a result of the pandemic. Intervening to improve levels of social support and offering practical guidance to better manage any additional stressors relating to the pandemic may provide strategies to help reduce the burden of mental health symptoms.

scholarly journals Genes and hormones of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis in post-traumatic stress disorder. What is their role in symptom expression and treatment response?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanne Fischer ◽  
Tabea Schumacher ◽  
Christine Knaevelsrud ◽  
Ulrike Ehlert ◽  
Sarah Schumacher
Keyword(s):  
Hpa Axis ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Alternative Treatments ◽  
Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal ◽  
Post Traumatic

Abstract Background Less than half of all individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) remit spontaneously and a large proportion of those seeking treatment do not respond sufficiently. This suggests that there may be subgroups of individuals who are in need of augmentative or alternative treatments. One of the most frequent pathophysiological findings in PTSD is alterations in the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, including enhanced negative feedback sensitivity and attenuated peripheral cortisol. Given the role of the HPA axis in cognition, this pattern may contribute to PTSD symptoms and interfere with key processes of standard first-line treatments, such as trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy (TF-CBT). Methods This review provides a comprehensive summary of the current state of research regarding the role of HPA axis functioning in PTSD symptoms and treatment. Results Overall, there is preliminary evidence that hypocortisolaemia contributes to symptom manifestation in PTSD; that it predicts non-responses to TF-CBT; and that it is subject to change in parallel with positive treatment trajectories. Moreover, there is evidence that genetic and epigenetic alterations within the genes NR3C1 and FKBP5 are associated with this hypocortisolaemic pattern and that some of these alterations change as symptoms improve over the course of treatment. Conclusions Future research priorities include investigations into the role of the HPA axis in day-to-day symptom variation, the time scale in which biological changes in response to treatment occur, and the effects of sex. Furthermore, before conceiving augmentative or alternative treatments that target the described mechanisms, multilevel studies are warranted.

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