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

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.

Trauma and Mentalization Ability in Older Patients

The topic of trauma and aging has been studied more frequently in the recent past from the perspective of the consequences of early trauma experiences, especially in the context of war experiences. However, trauma can also occur later in life and have lasting consequences into older age. The study presented here assumed that these consequences can also manifest themselves in an impairment of mentalization ability. It examined a sample of patients between 40 and 80 years of age from a psychosomatic clinic ( N = 150) was examined with the Essen Trauma Inventory (ETI) and two mentalization instruments. Results show that, as age increased, stressful events in adulthood correspond with impairment in mentalization ability in old age. Regarding posttraumatic symptomatology, the influence of intrusions increased as age increased. Finally, the results are discussed in a theoretical and therapeutic context.

Working with Shame and Trauma

Not only does the literature attest to the high levels of trauma among displaced populations, research in the past decade has increasingly revealed the hidden yet pervasive role that shame may play in posttraumatic symptomatology. As defined by Wilson and colleagues, “in the posttraumatic self, shame develops from traumatic experiences that render the victim fearful, powerless, helpless, and unable to act congruently with moral values” (Wilson et al., 2006, p. 127). In the context of forced migration in particular, both trauma and shame are ubiquitous, pervasive, and contagious.

Monitoring the evolution of posttraumatic symptomatology, depression and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazilians (COVIDPsiq)

In view of the evolution of the pandemic by COVID-19 in Brazil, and the adoption of social restriction measures, an increase in cases of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety disorder and depression is expected. In epidemic situations, mental health services can become overloaded; however, the evolution of these disorders over time is not known. This study aims to monitor the evolution of PTSD symptoms, anxiety and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazilians, and to investigate sociodemographic risk factors related to psychiatric history and contagion, as well as maladaptive personality traits and posttraumatic growth. It will be a longitudinal study, conducted through online questionnaires, with a sample of non-probabilistic convenience. The inclusion criteria are: being brazilian born or living in Brazilian territory; be over 18 years old; have access to digital devices; and be literate. A sample of at least 2000 people is expected. The instruments applied are a research questionnaire, the Posttraumatic Checklist 5 (PCL-5), the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21), the Personality Inventory for the DSM-5 – brief form (PID-5-BF), and the PostTraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI). The study will be carried out in four stages: entry, one month, three months, and six months after the entry. The study relies on voluntary participation, with the agreement through the Free and Informed Consent Form. Data collection will be conducted in 2020, and the study will be completed in 2021. It will be financed with its own resources, and encouragement will be sought through research funding agencies.

Monitoring the evolution of posttraumatic symptomatology, depression and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazilians (COVIDPsiq)

In view of the evolution of the pandemic by COVID-19 in Brazil, and the adoption of social restriction measures, an increase in cases of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety disorder and depression is expected. In epidemic situations, mental health services can become overloaded; however, the evolution of these disorders over time is not known. This study aims to monitor the evolution of PTSD symptoms, anxiety and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazilians, and to investigate sociodemographic risk factors related to psychiatric history and contagion, as well as maladaptive personality traits and posttraumatic growth. It will be a longitudinal study, conducted through online questionnaires, with a sample of non-probabilistic convenience. The inclusion criteria are: being brazilian born or living in Brazilian territory; be over 18 years old; have access to digital devices; and be literate. A sample of at least 2000 people is expected. The instruments applied are a research questionnaire, the Posttraumatic Checklist 5 (PCL-5), the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21), the Personality Inventory for the DSM-5 – brief form (PID-5-BF), and the PostTraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI). The study will be carried out in four stages: entry, one month, three months, and six months after the entry. The study relies on voluntary participation, with the agreement through the Free and Informed Consent Form. Data collection will be conducted in 2020, and the study will be completed in 2021. It will be financed with its own resources, and encouragement will be sought through research funding agencies.