{"title":"Introduction to the Special Issue on the 39th Annual Meeting of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies: Scalable strategies to address the impact of trauma worldwide","authors":"Isaac R. Galatzer-Levy, Katharina Schultebraucks","doi":"10.1002/jts.23096","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jts.23096","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This editorial summary provides an overview of the 39th annual meeting of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS) held from November 1–4, 2023. The meeting, themed “Scalable Strategies to Address the Impact of Trauma Worldwide: Innovations and Implementation,” encouraged presenters to focus on the scalability of traumatic stress research and practice. The articles presented at the meeting, which form this issue, cover a broad spectrum of topics, from basic biological mechanisms to innovative digital engagement to population-wide treatments. These articles emphasize eliminating biases in research design and psychiatric practice, promoting health equity, and addressing the unique challenges of traumatic stress. This summary underscores the importance of scalability in developing flexible, dynamic, and inclusive mental health care interventions.</p>","PeriodicalId":17519,"journal":{"name":"Journal of traumatic stress","volume":"37 5","pages":"715-716"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141917050","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}
Shannon M. Kehle-Forbes, Allison L. Baier, Princess E. Ackland, Michele Spoont, Melissa A. Polusny, Paula P. Schnurr, Tara Galovski, Laura Meis
{"title":"“It made me feel more alive”: A qualitative analysis of quality of life improvements following completion of trauma-focused therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder","authors":"Shannon M. Kehle-Forbes, Allison L. Baier, Princess E. Ackland, Michele Spoont, Melissa A. Polusny, Paula P. Schnurr, Tara Galovski, Laura Meis","doi":"10.1002/jts.23091","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jts.23091","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with poor quality of life. Although randomized clinical trial data show improvements in quality of life following trauma-focused therapies (TFTs), including prolonged exposure therapy (PE) and cognitive processing therapy (CPT), less is known about how these improvements are experienced from the trauma survivor's perspective. A national sample of 60 veterans who recently completed TFT as part of routine care at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs facilities participated in semistructured qualitative interviews during which the impact of treatment on quality of life was explored. Following a mixed deductive/inductive approach, six interrelated themes describing changes in quality of life emerged: full participation in social activities, greater emotional intimacy in relationships, improvements in parenting, expanded engagement in hobbies and community, increased occupational commitment and confidence, and more joy in life. The data highlight the positive impact of treatment on quality of life and provide depth to quantitative findings demonstrating improvements in quality of life following TFT.</p>","PeriodicalId":17519,"journal":{"name":"Journal of traumatic stress","volume":"38 1","pages":"158-164"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-08-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jts.23091","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141878989","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}
Anthony King, Ting Tong, Danielle Le, Donna Sim, Gloria Wong-Padoongpatt
{"title":"Adverse childhood experiences, health risk factors, and significant problems with substances and behaviors among U.S. college students","authors":"Anthony King, Ting Tong, Danielle Le, Donna Sim, Gloria Wong-Padoongpatt","doi":"10.1002/jts.23089","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jts.23089","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are often associated with higher rates of mental health issues and problematic behaviors within the U.S. college population. Therefore, the primary purpose of this study was to investigate the current associations among ACEs, six psychosocial risk factors for poor health (i.e., anxiety, depression, loneliness, negative urgency, positive urgency, and stress), and significant behavioral and substance problems in a large sample of college students (<i>N</i> = 1,993). Overall, 72.3% of participants reported one or more ACEs, with 21.7% reporting at least five of these experiences; the most prevalent ACE types were emotional abuse (51.7%) and parental mental illness (33.8%). Cumulative ACEs were positively associated with all health risk factors, <i>r</i>s = .07–.38, <i>p</i>s ≤ .001, and these ACE scores were most connected to student problems with alcohol, overeating, and sex, <i>r</i>s = .19–.22, <i>p</i>s < .001. Furthermore, using logistic regression, cumulative ACEs predicted which students were more likely to report behavioral problems, <i>OR</i> = 1.08, 95% CI [1.03, 1.14]; substance problems, <i>OR</i> = 1.16, 95% CI [1.07, 1.26]; and both types of problems, <i>OR</i> = 1.28, 95% CI [1.20, 1.36], relative to students without these problems. Aside from ACEs, higher anxiety was the only other risk factor all three problem types shared. Collectively, these findings highlight the differential impact of ACEs and other psychosocial risk factors on the susceptibility of college students to particular forms of maladaptive coping and suggest potential targets for intervention and prevention efforts in these areas.</p>","PeriodicalId":17519,"journal":{"name":"Journal of traumatic stress","volume":"37 6","pages":"1009-1020"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141875229","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}
Vanessa M. Jacoby, Casey L. Straud, Hannah Tyler, Katherine A. Dondanville, Jeffrey S. Yarvis, Jim Mintz, Stacey Young-McCaughan, Alan L. Peterson, Jennifer Schuster Wachen, Patricia A. Resick, for the STRONG STAR Consortium
{"title":"An evaluation of the associations among posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and complicated grief in active duty military personnel with traumatic loss","authors":"Vanessa M. Jacoby, Casey L. Straud, Hannah Tyler, Katherine A. Dondanville, Jeffrey S. Yarvis, Jim Mintz, Stacey Young-McCaughan, Alan L. Peterson, Jennifer Schuster Wachen, Patricia A. Resick, for the STRONG STAR Consortium","doi":"10.1002/jts.23080","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jts.23080","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Between 44% and 87% of active duty service members and veterans who deployed following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks know someone who was killed or seriously injured in combat. Considering the high frequency and known impact of traumatic loss, it is important to understand if and how traumatic loss may impede posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatment progress in military personnel. Additionally, experiencing a traumatic loss elevates the risk of developing prolonged grief disorder (PGD), which is associated with higher levels of PTSD symptoms, more functional impairment, and more lifetime suicide attempts among military personnel. Given what is known about the association between PGD and PTSD in treatment-seeking service members and veterans, it is also important to understand whether grief-related symptom severity negatively impacts PTSD treatment response. The current study examined associations among traumatic loss, complicated grief, depressive symptoms, and PTSD treatment response among military personnel (<i>N</i> = 127) who participated in variable-length cognitive processing therapy (CPT). There was no direct, <i>F</i>(2, 125) = 0.77, <i>p</i> = .465, or indirect, β = .02, <i>p</i> = .677, association between a traumatic loss index event and PTSD treatment response compared with other trauma types. Prior assessments of depressive symptom severity were directly related to PTSD at later assessments across two models, <i>p</i>s < .001–<i>p</i> = .021 Participants with a traumatic loss index trauma demonstrated significant reductions in complicated grief, depressive symptoms, and PTSD following CPT, <i>p</i>s < .001, <i>d</i>s = −0.61–−0.83. Implications, study limitations, and suggestions for future research are presented.</p>","PeriodicalId":17519,"journal":{"name":"Journal of traumatic stress","volume":"37 6","pages":"984-997"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141875230","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}
Aakanksha Lahoti, Lauren M. Berny, Emily E. Tanner-Smith
{"title":"Examining the association between posttraumatic stress disorder and sexual risk-taking in dually diagnosed adolescents","authors":"Aakanksha Lahoti, Lauren M. Berny, Emily E. Tanner-Smith","doi":"10.1002/jts.23086","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jts.23086","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Prior research has identified traumatic experiences and substance use as risk factors for adolescent engagement in sexual risk-taking; however, these studies have relied upon subthreshold or non–dually diagnosed samples. The present study examined differences in sexual risk behaviors between adolescents with a substance use disorder (SUD) and co-occurring posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) versus those with an SUD and another co-occurring psychiatric disorder. Participants were 269 adolescents who met the clinical screening criteria for an SUD and at least one psychiatric disorder. Bivariate comparisons and generalized linear models were used to compare sexual risk behaviors in participants with co-occurring PTSD (30.0%) and those with a different psychiatric disorder (70.0%). Participants with co-occurring PTSD were twice as likely to have multiple sex partners during the same period compared to those without PTSD, odds ratio (<i>OR</i>) = 2.35, <i>p</i> = .012. They also reported, on average, over twice the incidence rate of unprotected sexual encounters, incidence rate ratio (<i>IRR</i>) = 2.06, <i>p</i> = .034, and a 51.0% higher incidence of sexual risk behaviors, <i>IRR</i> = 1.51, <i>p</i> = .008, than participants without co-occurring PTSD. The results suggest dually diagnosed adolescents with co-occurring PTSD are more likely to engage in sexual risk behaviors than those with a different co-occurring disorder, placing them at higher risk for adverse health effects, such as sexually transmitted infections and unplanned pregnancies. As such, this population is likely to benefit from targeted trauma-informed sexual health education programs focused on sexual risk reduction.</p>","PeriodicalId":17519,"journal":{"name":"Journal of traumatic stress","volume":"37 6","pages":"1028-1034"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141855916","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":"The impact of age-related differences in emotion dysregulation on refugee mental health and social outcomes","authors":"Yulisha Byrow, Angela Nickerson, Philippa Specker, Richard Bryant, Meaghan O'Donnell, Tadgh McMahon, Vicki Mau, Belinda Liddell","doi":"10.1002/jts.23088","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jts.23088","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The refugee experience is typically characterized by exposure to numerous premigration traumatic events and postmigration stress in the resettlement environment. Refugees’ experiences can lead to elevated rates of psychopathology, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. Emotion regulation is a key mechanism contributing to mental health outcomes among refugees. This study examined the impact of age on the association between emotion regulation and critical social outcomes relevant to refugee resettlement, such as social engagement and functional impairment. Participants were 1,081 Arabic-, Farsi-, Tamil- and English-speaking adult refugees. Premigration trauma exposure, postmigration stressors, PTSD symptoms, depressive symptoms, emotion regulation, social engagement, and functional impairment were measured. A series of hierarchical regression and Poisson regression analyses revealed emotion dysregulation as a significant predictor of functional impairment, β <i>=</i> .36<i>, p</i> < .001, and social engagement, Exp <i>B =</i> 0.99<i>, p</i> = .002. A significant interaction between age and emotion dysregulation was associated with both PTSD, β = .05<i>, p</i> = .048 and depressive symptoms, β = .06<i>, p</i> = .010, suggesting a stronger positive association between emotion dysregulation and both PTSD and depressive symptom severity for older individuals. Postmigration stressor exposure, emotion dysregulation, and older age are important factors that may negatively impact social engagement and functional impairment in the resettlement environment. Additionally, higher levels of trauma exposure may negatively impact social engagement. These findings have implications for public health and social services in the context of resettled refugee communities.</p>","PeriodicalId":17519,"journal":{"name":"Journal of traumatic stress","volume":"37 6","pages":"1035-1046"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-07-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11629854/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141792733","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}
Melissa R. Schick, Tami P. Sullivan, Alexis R. Alfano, Nicole H. Weiss
{"title":"A psychometric evaluation of the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 among women experiencing intimate partner violence","authors":"Melissa R. Schick, Tami P. Sullivan, Alexis R. Alfano, Nicole H. Weiss","doi":"10.1002/jts.23087","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jts.23087","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Recent national estimates suggest that 1 in 2 women will experience intimate partner violence (IPV) in their lifetime. Given the high prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among women experiencing IPV, it is necessary to consider whether PTSD assessments function adequately for this population. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the past-month version of the PTSD Checklist for <i>DSM-5</i> (PCL-5), one of the most widely used self-report measures of PTSD symptoms, in a sample of community women experiencing IPV. Participants were 158 women who had experienced IPV in the past 6 months (<i>M<sub>age</sub></i> = 40.14 years, 39.9% White). The PCL-5 demonstrated good internal consistency, Cronbach's α = .97, and scores were significantly positively correlated with theoretically related constructs (i.e., PTSD symptom count on the SCID-5, IPV severity, substance use, depression, anxiety, and emotion dysregulation); however, it demonstrated poor 30-day stability, <i>r</i> = .38, ICC = .55. The ability of the PCL-5 to discriminate with respect to a PTSD diagnosis was acceptable, AUC = .74. A cutoff score of 21 maximized sensitivity (82.5%) and specificity (55.4%); this is lower than typical cutoffs (i.e., 31–33). Although the PCL-5 has generally demonstrated adequate psychometric properties, findings suggest that it does not function optimally for women experiencing IPV relative to its functioning for other trauma-exposed populations. The lower-than-typical cutoff suggests that the PCL-5 may underestimate PTSD prevalence among women experiencing IPV.</p>","PeriodicalId":17519,"journal":{"name":"Journal of traumatic stress","volume":"37 6","pages":"998-1008"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-07-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141731235","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":"Trauma reminders and disgust: The roles of posttraumatic stress disorder symptom severity, trauma type, and reminder type","authors":"M. Shae Nester, Blair E. Wisco","doi":"10.1002/jts.23076","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jts.23076","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Disgust is a common emotional response to trauma but is studied less frequently than fear or other negative emotions. In laboratory settings, individuals with a history of sexual assault report more disgust following exposure to trauma reminders than those exposed to other trauma types, and people with more severe posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms typically report more disgust than those with lower symptom levels. It remains unknown whether this association is also present in ecological contexts and if these associations vary by trauma reminder type. The present sample included 80 trauma-exposed community members (PTSD: <i>n</i> = 39, no PTSD: <i>n</i> = 41) who completed up to 17 prompts per day for 3 days (2,158 total completed surveys). Multilevel models indicated that trauma reminders were associated with increased feelings of disgust, <i>B</i> = 0.16, <i>SE</i> = 0.06, <i>p</i> < .001, which was consistent across trauma reminder types, <i>p</i> < .001–<i>p =</i> .001. PTSD symptom severity moderated the association between trauma reminders and disgust such that it was stronger for participants with higher CAPS-5 scores, <i>B</i> = 0.02, <i>SE</i> = 0.01, <i>p</i> = .011. All trauma reminder types demonstrated the same pattern of moderation, <i>p</i>s = .003–.022, except flashbacks, <i>p</i> = .070. Trauma type was not a significant moderator of any trauma reminder type, <i>p</i>s = .193–.929. These findings suggest that trauma reminders encountered in daily life are associated with feelings of disgust. The results underscore the importance of exploring disgust as a trauma-related emotional experience among trauma survivors.</p>","PeriodicalId":17519,"journal":{"name":"Journal of traumatic stress","volume":"37 6","pages":"959-970"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-07-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11629848/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141633822","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":"An overview of diagnostics and therapeutics using large language models","authors":"Matteo Malgaroli, Daniel McDuff","doi":"10.1002/jts.23082","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jts.23082","url":null,"abstract":"<p>There is an acute need for solutions to treat stress and trauma–related sequelae, and there are well-documented shortages of qualified human professionals. Artificial intelligence (AI) presents an opportunity to create advanced screening, diagnosis, and treatment solutions that relieve the burden on people and can provide just-in-time interventions. Large language models (LLMs), in particular, are promising given the role language plays in understanding and treating traumatic stress and other mental health conditions. In this article, we provide an overview of the state-of-the-art LLMs applications in diagnostic assessments, clinical note generation, and therapeutic support. We discuss the open research direction and challenges that need to be overcome to realize the full potential of deploying language models for use in clinical contexts. We highlight the need for increased representation in AI systems to ensure there are no disparities in access. Public datasets and models will help lead progress toward better models; however, privacy-preserving model training will be necessary for protecting patient data.</p>","PeriodicalId":17519,"journal":{"name":"Journal of traumatic stress","volume":"37 5","pages":"754-760"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-07-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141723822","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}
Kelly A. Correa, Vasiliki Michopoulos, Jennifer S. Stevens, Nathaniel G. Harnett
{"title":"Conceptualizing disparities and differences in the psychobiology of traumatic stress","authors":"Kelly A. Correa, Vasiliki Michopoulos, Jennifer S. Stevens, Nathaniel G. Harnett","doi":"10.1002/jts.23081","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jts.23081","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Understanding biological pathways that mediate trauma-related psychopathology is a major goal for traumatic stress studies. There is growing interest in studying differences in neural, physiological, and behavioral correlates of traumatic stress across demographic groups (e.g., sex/gender, race/ethnicity). However, challenges remain in how to appropriately conceptualize the source, mechanisms, and practical utility of between-group variation. The present brief conceptual review discusses ethnicity, race, and sex/gender-related variability relevant to understanding the psychobiology of traumatic stress in the context of traumatic stress studies. We discuss recent evidence related to socioenvironmental influences on ethnoracial variability in the brain and behavior relevant to traumatic stress, as well as sex/gender associations in neurophysiology that may contribute to the development of adverse posttraumatic sequelae. We further synthesize these findings by discussing intersectional influences of sex/gender- and race/ethnicity-related factors on trauma-related physical and mental health outcomes. The present review provides an important foundation for future research on disparities and individual differences in traumatic stress to move the field toward more effective assessment and treatment approaches.</p>","PeriodicalId":17519,"journal":{"name":"Journal of traumatic stress","volume":"37 5","pages":"746-753"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-07-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141633819","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}