Andrew G. Guzick, Aron Tendler, Lily A. Brown, Ogechi C. Onyeka, Eric A. Storch
{"title":"Linguistic and affective characteristics of script-driven imagery for adults with posttraumatic stress order: Associations with clinical outcomes during deep transcranial magnetic stimulation","authors":"Andrew G. Guzick, Aron Tendler, Lily A. Brown, Ogechi C. Onyeka, Eric A. Storch","doi":"10.1002/jts.23010","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jts.23010","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Brief exposure to traumatic memories using script-driven imagery (SDI) has been proposed as a promising treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study investigated the effect of SDI plus active versus sham deep transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial for adults with PTSD (<i>N</i> = 134). Linguistic features of scripts and self-reported distress during a 12-session deep TMS treatment protocol were examined as they related to (a) baseline PTSD symptom severity, (b) trauma characteristics, and (c) treatment outcomes. Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) software was used to analyze the following linguistic features of SDIs: negative emotion, authenticity, and cognitive processing. More use of negative emotion words was associated with less severe self-reported and clinician-rated baseline PTSD symptom severity, <i>r</i> = -.18, <i>p</i> = .038. LIWC features did not differ based on index trauma type, range: <i>F</i>(3, 125) = 0.29–0.49, <i>p</i>s = .688–.831. Between-session reductions in self-reported distress across SDI trials predicted PTSD symptom improvement across both conditions at 5-week, <i>B</i> = -15.68, <i>p</i> = .010, and 9-week endpoints, <i>B</i> = -16.38, <i>p</i> = .011. Initial self-reported distress and linguistic features were not associated with treatment outcomes. The findings suggest that individuals with PTSD who experience between-session habituation to SDI-related distress are likely to experience a corresponding improvement in PTSD symptoms.</p>","PeriodicalId":17519,"journal":{"name":"Journal of traumatic stress","volume":"37 2","pages":"291-306"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2024-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139642358","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"State of the science: Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy","authors":"Ad de Jongh, Carlijn de Roos, Sharif El-Leithy","doi":"10.1002/jts.23012","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jts.23012","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is an evidence-based psychotherapy for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with support from more than 30 published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) demonstrating its effectiveness in both adults and children. Most international clinical practice guidelines recommend EMDR therapy as a first-line treatment for PTSD. This paper describes the current state of the evidence for EMDR therapy. We begin with a brief description of EMDR therapy and its theoretical framework. Next, we summarize the scientific support for its efficacy, effectiveness, and safety and discuss its applicability across cultures and with diverse populations. We conclude with suggestions for future directions to develop the research base and applications of EMDR therapy.</p>","PeriodicalId":17519,"journal":{"name":"Journal of traumatic stress","volume":"37 2","pages":"205-216"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2024-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jts.23012","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139570797","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Line Rønning, Andreas Espetvedt Nordstrand, Odin Hjemdal, Hans Jakob Bøe
{"title":"Gender differences in mental health outcomes among Afghanistan veterans exposed to war zone trauma","authors":"Line Rønning, Andreas Espetvedt Nordstrand, Odin Hjemdal, Hans Jakob Bøe","doi":"10.1002/jts.23015","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jts.23015","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Research has sought to identify whether women have an increased risk of developing mental health problems following military trauma compared to men, but the results are mixed. This study examined gender differences in a range of mental health outcomes within three levels of war zone trauma exposure and investigated gender differences in risk and protective factors associated with clinical mental health problems. Using data from a cross-sectional, postdeployment survey, a sample of Norwegian veterans of recent military operations in Afghanistan (<i>N</i> = 6,205, 8.3% women) were sorted according to reported war zone trauma exposure level (low, medium, high), then assessed for symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), posttraumatic distress, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and alcohol problems. The findings revealed that men who reported low war zone exposure had lower levels of posttraumatic distress symptoms than women, <i>d</i> = -0.20, <i>p</i> = .040, but were more likely to report symptoms of alcohol problems within the low, <i>d</i> = 0.33, <i>p</i> < .001; medium, <i>d</i> = 0.39, <i>p</i> < .001; and high, <i>d</i> = 0.37, <i>p</i> = .049, exposure groups; however, these differences disappeared when all symptom variables were combined into one clinical mental health problem variable. Women with a clinical mental health problem were less likely to report war zone exposure than men, <i>OR</i> = 0.93, 95% CI [0.90, 0.97], <i>p</i> = .001. Findings suggest that although gender differences in mental health symptoms exist, male and female veterans with mental health problems may share more similarities than previously recognized.</p>","PeriodicalId":17519,"journal":{"name":"Journal of traumatic stress","volume":"37 2","pages":"307-317"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2024-01-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jts.23015","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139546620","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Rethinking trauma-related psychopathology in the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP)","authors":"Holly F. Levin-Aspenson, Ashley L. Greene","doi":"10.1002/jts.23014","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jts.23014","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Research on trauma exposure and its consequences has made tremendous progress in elucidating the role of traumatic life events in the development and maintenance of psychopathology as well as in evaluating interventions aimed at addressing the personal and public burden of trauma-related psychopathology. However, there is growing concern that problems with predominant definitions of posttraumatic syndrome (e.g., content coverage and scope, within-category heterogeneity, excessive diagnostic comorbidity) limit further efforts to fully conceptualize trauma-related psychopathology and deliver appropriate, personalized interventions. As demonstrated by an impressive body of research over the past several years, the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP) presents a compelling alternative to traditional nosologies in terms of empirically based characterizations of psychopathology phenotypes, with evidence of strong utility for research and clinical applications. However, HiTOP's primary focus on descriptive psychopathology has resulted in an unacceptable gap regarding the conceptualization of trauma-related psychopathology from a dimensional, transdiagnostic perspective. We see an important opportunity to clarify what HiTOP can offer the field of traumatic stress research and articulate a future for trauma-related psychopathology within HiTOP. We argue for disaggregating psychopathology symptoms from their purported causes and, instead, developing a detailed taxonomy of traumatic events alongside an ever-evolving HiTOP model. Doing so will help identify empirically based phenotypes of trauma-related psychopathology that (a) go beyond the traditional PTSD criterion sets and (b) allow for the possibility that different features of traumatic experiences (e.g., type, duration, subjective meaning) may be associated with different symptom sequelae across different psychopathology spectra.</p>","PeriodicalId":17519,"journal":{"name":"Journal of traumatic stress","volume":"37 3","pages":"361-371"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2024-01-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139546624","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"2023 Annual Acknowledgment of Reviewers","authors":"","doi":"10.1002/jts.23021","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jts.23021","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":17519,"journal":{"name":"Journal of traumatic stress","volume":"37 1","pages":"195-197"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2024-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139513116","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Michael L. Crowe, Sage E. Hawn, Erika J. Wolf, Terence M. Keane, Brian P. Marx
{"title":"Trauma exposure and transdiagnostic distress: Examining shared and posttraumatic stress disorder–specific associations","authors":"Michael L. Crowe, Sage E. Hawn, Erika J. Wolf, Terence M. Keane, Brian P. Marx","doi":"10.1002/jts.23009","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jts.23009","url":null,"abstract":"<p>We examined transdiagnostic and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)–specific associations with multiple forms of trauma exposure within a nationwide U.S. sample (<i>N</i> = 1,649, 50.0% female) of military veterans overselected for PTSD. A higher-order Distress factor was estimated using PTSD, major depressive disorder (MDD), and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) symptoms as indicators. A structural equation model spanning three assessment points over an average of 3.85 years was constructed to examine the unique roles of higher-order Distress and PTSD-specific variance in accounting for the associations between trauma exposure, measured using the Life Events Checklist (LEC) and Deployment Risk and Resiliency Inventory Combat subscale (DRRI-C), and psychosocial impairment. The results suggest the association between trauma exposure and PTSD symptoms was primarily mediated by higher-order distress (70.7% of LEC effect, 63.2% of DRRI-C effect), but PTSD severity retained a significant association with trauma exposure independent of distress, LEC: β = .10, 95% CI [.06, .13]; DRRI-C: β = .11, 95% CI [.07, .14]. Both higher-order distress, β = .31, and PTSD-specific variance, β = .36, were necessary to account for the association between trauma exposure and future impairment. Findings suggest that trauma exposure may contribute to comorbidity across a range of internalizing symptoms as well as to PTSD-specific presentations.</p>","PeriodicalId":17519,"journal":{"name":"Journal of traumatic stress","volume":"37 3","pages":"372-383"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2024-01-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139478055","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Moving forward with a culturally inclusive PTSD Criterion A: Commentary on Marx et al. (2023)","authors":"Maureen A. Allwood","doi":"10.1002/jts.23016","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jts.23016","url":null,"abstract":"<p>In response to Marx et al.’s (2023) article, “The PTSD Criterion A debate: A brief history, current status, and recommendations for moving forward,” this commentary offers agreement with the recommendation to conduct population-based studies to inform future Criterion A changes. However, to fully address the debate as to whether Criterion A should be expanded, limited, eliminated, or remain unchanged, it is critical that future population-based research focus on cultural inclusivity and the addition of potentially traumatic experiences that are collective and/or cumulative versus individual and discrete. To further understand the etiology of mental health distress and disorder and the role of adverse life experiences, it is also recommended that adverse event specifiers be added to disorders not currently considered to be event-related. The ability to identify the potential long-term effects of adverse life experiences in relation to disorders other than posttraumatic stress disorder (e.g., major depressive disorder) could help validate experiences, reduce stigma, and further advance research on etiology and interventions.</p>","PeriodicalId":17519,"journal":{"name":"Journal of traumatic stress","volume":"37 1","pages":"16-18"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2024-01-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139478054","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Assisting refugee survivors of torture and trauma: An existential perspective","authors":"Pearl Fernandes, Paul Rhodes, Niels Buus","doi":"10.1002/jts.23011","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jts.23011","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Consistent exposure to refugee narratives of trauma and torture can profoundly impact trauma therapists. This secondary analysis reanalyzed data from a narrative inquiry investigating the lived experiences of refugee trauma therapists. We aimed to explore emergent concerns through an existential lens to enrich understanding and provide additional insights into the lived experiences of these individuals. Participants in this purposive sample (<i>N</i> = 19) were therapists who had provided interventions to refugees for 2–34 years. Narrative construction, theory-guided data analysis, and memo writing were used to reanalyze data generated by semistructured interviews augmented by photo elicitation. The findings indicate that being forced to reevaluate familiar beliefs consequent to one's professional roles induced intense existential moments, described as “a dark night of the soul,” “the paradox of life and death,” “uncanny feelings of not being at home,” and “a falling.” Acknowledging the complexities of the field, an existential framework to assist refugee trauma therapists in metabolizing and living with the professional challenges they encounter instead of focusing on alleviating decontextualized symptoms of distress is recommended. Research to inform requirements of the space to enable refugee trauma therapists to share their concerns and facilitate transitions toward more authentic, nonevasive sense of “being-in-the-world” is suggested.</p>","PeriodicalId":17519,"journal":{"name":"Journal of traumatic stress","volume":"37 2","pages":"280-290"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2024-01-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jts.23011","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139466634","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Alejandro L. Vázquez, Cynthia M. Navarro Flores, Daniel K. Feinberg, Juan Carlos Gonzalez, John Young, Regan W. Stewart, Rosaura E. Orengo-Aguayo
{"title":"A network analysis of Hurricane Maria–related traumatic stress and substance use among Puerto Rican youth","authors":"Alejandro L. Vázquez, Cynthia M. Navarro Flores, Daniel K. Feinberg, Juan Carlos Gonzalez, John Young, Regan W. Stewart, Rosaura E. Orengo-Aguayo","doi":"10.1002/jts.23008","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jts.23008","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Youth exposed to natural disasters are at risk of developing trauma-related symptoms as well as engaging in substance use. Although previous research has established associations between disaster-related stressors and substance use in youth, less has focused on how symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may underpin this association. The current study used network analysis to identify specific PTSD symptoms associated with substance use following a natural disaster. Participants were 91,732 youths (Grades 3–12) from across Puerto Rico who completed a needs assessment 5–9 months after Hurricane Maria made landfall in September 2017. We examined associations between PTSD symptoms and substance use, identified clusters of symptoms and bridges between them, and explored age- and binary gender–related differences in associations between specific PTSD symptoms and substance use. Analyses identified two symptom communities: (a) arousal and reactivity, negative alterations in cognition and mood, and substance use, and (b) avoidance and intrusion. Broader findings suggested that substance use was most strongly associated with PTSD-related irritability and angry outbursts among youths. Surrounding nodes explained only 4.1% of the variance in substance use, but this was higher among youths who reported not having a supportive adult, <i>R</i><sup>2</sup> = 8.5; friend, <i>R</i><sup>2</sup> = 7.9; or teacher/counselor, <i>R</i><sup>2</sup> = 7.7, in their life. The bridge symptoms of sleep disruption and physiological reactivity were identified as potentially critical intervention targets for disrupting PTSD symptom networks after a natural disaster. Implications for triaged mental health care following natural disasters and directions for future research are discussed.</p>","PeriodicalId":17519,"journal":{"name":"Journal of traumatic stress","volume":"37 2","pages":"267-279"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2024-01-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139403462","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Christian M. Connell, Ann Shun Swanson, Maegan Genovese, Jason M. Lang
{"title":"Effects of child trauma screening on trauma-informed multidisciplinary evaluation and service planning in the child welfare system","authors":"Christian M. Connell, Ann Shun Swanson, Maegan Genovese, Jason M. Lang","doi":"10.1002/jts.23001","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jts.23001","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Despite the prevalence of exposure to potentially traumatic events (PTEs) among children involved with the child welfare system (CWS), trauma screening is not yet a common practice. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of embedding a formal trauma screening process in statewide multidisciplinary evaluations for CWS-involved youth. A retrospective record review was conducted with two random samples of cases reflecting both pre- and postimplementation of formal screening procedures (<i>n</i> = 70 preimplementation, <i>n</i> = 100 postimplementation). Findings from the record review indicate statistically significant improvements in the documentation of general, χ<sup>2</sup>(1, <i>N</i> = 170) = 18.8, <i>p</i> < .001, and specific, χ<sup>2</sup>(1, <i>N</i> = 170) = 10.7, <i>p</i> = .001, details of children's reactions associated with PTE exposure, as well as increases in providers’ recommendations, χ<sup>2</sup>(1, <i>N</i> = 170) = 18.1, <i>p</i> < .001, and referrals, χ<sup>2</sup>(1, <i>N</i> = 170) = 4.5, <i>p</i> = .034, for trauma-focused services. The early identification of trauma-related symptoms may help connect children more promptly to trauma-informed evidence-based interventions, which may avert or mitigate the long-term sequelae of child maltreatment and CWS involvement.</p>","PeriodicalId":17519,"journal":{"name":"Journal of traumatic stress","volume":"37 2","pages":"337-343"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2024-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139403463","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}