Psychological trauma : theory, research, practice and policy最新文献

{"title":"The contribution of self-compassion and social support to women's mental health during pregnancy: A comparison between international and national crisis periods.","authors":"Elad Mijalevich-Soker, Orit Taubman-Ben-Ari","doi":"10.1037/tra0001849","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0001849","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>The present study aimed to examine the contribution of self-compassion and perceived social support from family, partner, and friends, along with pregnancy-related variables, and concerns about the fetus and childbirth, to pregnant women's mental health, comparing two different crises.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>A sample of 220 women was recruited during the COVID-19 pandemic, and another sample of 224 women was recruited during the Israel-Hamas war. Participants were enrolled through a convenience sample and completed a set of self-report questionnaires.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Women's mental health, self-compassion, and perceived support from family and partner were significantly higher during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with the war. Furthermore, women's mental health had positive and significant associations with self-compassion and perceived social support from all sources. Moreover, the association between self-compassion and mental health was moderated by the event.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The findings suggest that the pregnancy period should be examined under various unique stressful events to better understand the appropriate coping resources that can ameliorate women's stress due to a major stressful event alongside the challenges inherent in pregnancy itself. They also suggest that self-compassion is a context-dependent variable and more dynamic than previously understood. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).</p>","PeriodicalId":20982,"journal":{"name":"Psychological trauma : theory, research, practice and policy","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143024385","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Correlates of impaired sleep duration among adults with trauma alone and with posttraumatic stress disorder.","authors":"John L Havlik, Taeho Greg Rhee, Robert A Rosenheck","doi":"10.1037/tra0001846","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0001846","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>To elucidate the relationship between impaired sleep duration and trauma/posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) net of sociodemographic, behavioral, and comorbid diagnostic factors.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>We investigated this relationship using the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions-III data set, analyzing a nationally representative sample of 36,309 adults. Our study identified three groups: those without trauma/PTSD, those with trauma but no PTSD, and those with PTSD. We examined the relationship of impaired sleep duration and trauma/PTSD net of demographic, diagnostic, and behavioral factors in these groups.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Significant differences were observed among the groups across many sociodemographic and behavioral variables. Compared to those without trauma or PTSD, higher odds of reporting impaired sleep duration were observed among those with trauma (odds ratio = 1.38, 95% confidence interval [1.30, -1.47]) and especially those with PTSD (odds ratio = 2.54, confidence interval [2.22, -2.91]). Adjusted multivariable regression revealed attenuated but still significant associations between trauma/PTSD and impaired sleep duration, with PTSD showing a small effect size (> 1.5) on odds of impaired sleep duration and trauma alone showing a less than clinically meaningful effect size (< 1.5 but > 1). Recursive feature elimination identified key predictors of impaired sleep duration, including age, body mass index, race/ethnicity, psychiatric multimorbidity, chronic pain, and medical comorbidity.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Impaired sleep duration among individuals with trauma/PTSD is highly multifactorial. While trauma and PTSD contribute to sleep disturbances, other factors such as psychiatric and medical comorbidities play significant roles; impaired sleep in trauma/PTSD may be better understood through the lens of allostatic load. Addressing these comorbid factors alongside trauma/PTSD may improve treatment outcomes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).</p>","PeriodicalId":20982,"journal":{"name":"Psychological trauma : theory, research, practice and policy","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143010650","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluating self-efficacy as a treatment mechanism during an intensive treatment program for posttraumatic stress disorder.","authors":"Jonathan W Murphy, Chelsea Shotwell-Tabke, Dale L Smith, Zerbrina Valdespino-Hayden, Emily Patton, Sarah Pridgen, Philip Held","doi":"10.1037/tra0001836","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0001836","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Although traumatic exposures are common, only a small percentage of people exposed to trauma go on to develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This phenomenon suggests that there may be psychological factors that influence posttraumatic recovery trajectories. Beliefs about one's ability to cope with traumatic events have been proposed as a mechanism of posttraumatic recovery. The present study evaluated coping self-efficacy (CSE) as a treatment mechanism.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>Data were collected from 423 military service members and veterans who completed a 2-week cognitive processing therapy-based intensive treatment program for PTSD. Linear mixed-effects models were used to evaluate the associations between CSE and clinical symptoms over time. CSE and clinical symptoms were assessed at baseline, every other day during treatment, and at posttreatment. In addition, general self-efficacy (GSE) was assessed at baseline and included in the analyses.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Participants reported that increases in CSE began early and steadily increased across all domains during treatment. In addition, decreases in PTSD and depression severity also began early and steadily decreased during treatment. Although improvements in CSE predicted decreases in clinical symptoms, changes in CSE did not precede clinical improvement. Baseline GSE was a significant predictor of clinical outcomes, but changes in clinical symptoms during treatment did not differ based on one's baseline GSE.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The present study demonstrated that although changes in CSE do not temporarily precede changes in clinical symptoms, changes in CSE predicted changes in clinical symptoms, suggesting that CSE may serve as an indicator of treatment response. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).</p>","PeriodicalId":20982,"journal":{"name":"Psychological trauma : theory, research, practice and policy","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143010654","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The mediating role of ruminations in the relationship between negative and positive effects of indirect trauma in police officers.","authors":"Nina Ogińska-Bulik, Grzegorz Bąk","doi":"10.1037/tra0001856","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0001856","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Professionals working with people after traumatic events can experience both secondary traumatic stress (STS) and secondary posttraumatic growth (SPTG) as a result of exposure to indirect trauma; in both cases, a key role in their development is played by ruminations about the events experienced by the client. The aim of the study was to establish the relationship between STS, ruminations, and SPTG and determine the mediating role of ruminations in the relationship between STS and SPTG in a group of police officers.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>The study examined 682 police officers exposed to indirect trauma. Most of the respondents were men (75.1%). The mean age of the participants was 40.04 years (<i>SD</i> = 4.41). Three standard measurement tools were used: the Secondary Traumatic Stress Inventory, the Secondary Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, and the Event-Related Rumination Inventory. STS and SPTG were measured twice, with the second measurement taking place 6 months after the first measurement.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>STS was positively associated with SPTG. Ruminations positively correlated with STS and SPTG. Ruminations, mainly deliberate ones, played a mediating role in the relationship between STS and SPTG in both stages of the study.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Both STS and ruminations seem to favor the occurrence of SPTG in police officers working with people after traumatic experiences. Ruminations, especially deliberate ones, play an important role in the transition from the negative to the positive effects of indirect trauma. A tendency for deliberate rumination about the events experienced by the clients can increase the intensity of SPTG. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).</p>","PeriodicalId":20982,"journal":{"name":"Psychological trauma : theory, research, practice and policy","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142971692","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Trauma exposure and posttraumatic stress symptoms: Associations with self-reported dietary and exercise changes.","authors":"Rachel A Wamser, Rebecca A Ferro","doi":"10.1037/tra0001844","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0001844","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Exposure to trauma and subsequent posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) increase the risk of poor physical health outcomes. Yet, the nuances of the paths from trauma to poor health are largely theoretical, and research regarding how trauma types relate to specific trauma-related changes to diet and exercise is needed. The present study examined the associations between noninterpersonal and interpersonal trauma and PTSS with several novel dietary and exercise changes (i.e., perceived trauma-related diet changes in intake of calories, comfort food, refined carbohydrates, and sugar as well as changes in exercise amount and intensity).</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>Participants were 430 Midwestern University trauma-exposed students (<i>M</i>age = 23.87, <i>SD</i> = 6.90, range = 18-63; 81.1% female; 56.9% White).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Higher PTSS corresponded to increased perceived trauma-related changes in consumption of calories, comfort foods, carbohydrates, and sugar (<i>B</i>s = 0.1-.02). Interpersonal trauma was not tied to dietary changes, and noninterpersonal traumas were linked to decreased sugar intake. For trauma-related exercise changes, higher PTSS was associated with both increased likelihood of lower intensity exercise (<i>B</i> = .02) and higher intensity exercise (<i>B</i> = .03), yet neither trauma types were related. Further, neither trauma exposure nor PTSS was associated with perceptions in trauma-related increases in exercise amount.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>PTSS, as opposed to types of trauma exposure, may be the primary driver of perceived trauma-related diet and exercise changes. The identification of trauma-related health modifications may help improve health outcomes of trauma survivors, and ongoing work should examine whether trauma-focused treatment reduces maladaptive changes to diet and exercise. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).</p>","PeriodicalId":20982,"journal":{"name":"Psychological trauma : theory, research, practice and policy","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142971945","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Trajectory and predictors of psychological distress and posttraumatic growth among rectal cancer patients undergoing combined modality treatment: An exploratory prospective study.","authors":"Agata Benfante, Valentina Tesio, Pierfrancesco Franco, Annunziata Romeo, Francesca Arcadipane, Giuseppe Carlo Iorio, Sara Bartoncini, Lorys Castelli","doi":"10.1037/tra0001835","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0001835","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>This exploratory prospective cohort study aimed to investigate the trajectory of psychological distress and posttraumatic growth (PTG) in rectal cancer patients from diagnosis to follow-up and to explore factors that could predict PTG and psychological distress at follow-up.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>We assessed psychological distress (anxiety and depression), PTG, physical symptoms, quality of life, cancer-related coping, state and trait affectivity, resilience, and alexithymia in 43 rectal cancer patients, <i>M (SD</i>) age: 61.6 (12.6); 67.4% men, after diagnosis (T0), after preoperative radiochemotherapy (T1), after surgical resection (T2), and 1 year after surgery (T3, follow-up).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Psychological distress, especially anxiety symptoms, showed a significant reduction between T0 and T1 (<i>p</i> < .001), which increased again between T1 and T2 (<i>p</i> = .048). PTG showed a progressive increase, with a significant increase between T2 and T3 (<i>p</i> < .001). The exploratory hierarchical multiple regression analyses showed that low positive state affectivity (<i>p</i> = .005) and high health anxiety (<i>p</i> = .007) at T1 and high negative state affectivity (<i>p</i> = .012) at T3 were significant predictors of psychological distress at follow-up. Higher levels of PTG at T1 (<i>p</i> < .001) and greater use of adaptive coping styles of Fighting Spirit at T0 (<i>p</i> = .009) and Fatalism at T1 (<i>p</i> = .031) were significant predictors of PTG at follow-up.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The (fluctuating and linear, respectively) trajectories of psychological distress and PTG seem to be related to the psychological reactions to the different treatment phases, especially diagnosis and preoperative treatment. Data suggest the need to implement psychological screening and tailored support programs aimed at fostering PTG and reducing psychological distress from the earliest phases of cancer treatment. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).</p>","PeriodicalId":20982,"journal":{"name":"Psychological trauma : theory, research, practice and policy","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142954085","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"My playbook: Psychotherapy role expectations, relational trauma, and trauma-spectrum mental dysfunctions in community mental health service users in Hong Kong.","authors":"Chui-De Chiu, Josephine Sheron Au, Nerissa Hoi Yan Pau, Harris Chi Wai Chung, Lois W Choi-Kain","doi":"10.1037/tra0001834","DOIUrl":"10.1037/tra0001834","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Clients with relational trauma often face challenges in forming a therapeutic alliance, a primary predictor of psychotherapy outcomes. Unresolved traumatic stress can lead to a passive stance in therapy, manifested as a tendency to seek advice and approval from therapists in order to establish more predictable relational dynamics. This comes at the cost of adequately addressing their own therapeutic needs, which often leads to stagnation, treatment dropout, and frustration with the therapist. We postulated that neither relational nor nonrelational traumas could fully account for passive and maladaptive therapy role expectations, such as advice- and approval-seeking. Instead, we hypothesized that lingering effects of trauma, evident in trauma-related pathologies like dissociation, somatization, and borderline personality disorder, contribute more significantly to the tendency to adopt a passive interpersonal stance that can impede therapeutic progress.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>Using a sample of 259 community mental health service users, we examined the link between histories of relational trauma (both in childhood and adulthood), trauma-related pathologies, and role expectations in the psychotherapeutic interaction.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Bivariate correlations revealed that history of relational trauma correlated with relationship-seeking expectation-an active way of approaching therapy. However, trauma-related pathologies were invariably related to maladaptive and passive role expectations. In subsequent hierarchical regressions, when multiple factors were entered into the model, dissociation emerged as the key factor that explains maladaptive role expectations.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These findings suggest the importance of establishing clear role expectations and ensuring alignment with clients at the outset of therapy, particularly when indications of trauma-related pathologies are present. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).</p>","PeriodicalId":20982,"journal":{"name":"Psychological trauma : theory, research, practice and policy","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142954081","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"How we see the world: Inflexible interpretation updating as a predictor and moderator of PTSD symptoms in high-risk occupations.","authors":"M Roxanne Sopp, Shilat Haim-Nachum, Moritz N Braun, Johanna Lass-Hennemann, Sarah K Schäfer, Tanja Michael","doi":"10.1037/tra0001819","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0001819","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>The way we interpret information shapes our perception of reality. Predictive processing frameworks propose that the ability to update interpretations based on disconfirming information is key to recovery from potentially traumatic events (PTEs). However, direct evidence for this assumption is scarce and comes from studies using paradigms with low ecological validity.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>Here, we investigate the association between inflexible interpretation updating (IIU) and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in a comprehensive sample (<i>N</i> = 1,238 participants with work-related PTEs) using a scenario-based task, which exposed participants to danger-related situations that are representative of everyday life.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Our preregistered analyses yielded inconclusive findings regarding the relative link between PTSD symptoms and biased interpretations and interpretation updating, respectively. After conducting additional analyses to derive uncorrelated indices of biased interpretations and IIU, we found that both indices independently predicted higher PTSD symptoms. Moreover, IIU was found to moderate the association between work-related PTE exposure and PTSD symptoms such that individuals with highly flexible updating did not show a significant increase in PTSD symptoms with a rise in work-related PTE exposure.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our findings provide further indications that biased interpretations and IIU may be involved in the pathogenesis of PTSD. In addition, they suggest that interpretation updating may be a promising target for the prevention of PTSD symptoms in contexts of repeated PTE exposure (e.g., in high-risk occupations). (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).</p>","PeriodicalId":20982,"journal":{"name":"Psychological trauma : theory, research, practice and policy","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142954105","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reducing self-stigma among survivors of childhood maltreatment: Randomized controlled trial of a brief video intervention.","authors":"Shilat Haim-Nachum, Andrés Martin, Chana T Fisch, Amit Lazarov, Yuval Neria, Doron Amsalem","doi":"10.1037/tra0001805","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0001805","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Survivors of childhood maltreatment (CM) often experience self-stigma, the internalization of negative attitudes such as shame, self-blame, and a reluctance to disclose their experiences. These self-perceptions pose a significant barrier to treatment-seeking and may exacerbate psychiatric distress. Prior research indicates that social contact-based interventions are effective in reducing stigma, but no study to date has examined their impact on self-stigma and increasing openness to treatment-seeking among CM survivors. This study assessed the efficacy of a brief video intervention on reducing self-stigma among CM survivors using a randomized controlled trial.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>We randomly assigned 655 individuals (<i>M</i>_age = 36.7, <i>SD</i> = 11.2) with a history of CM to either an intervention or control video. Participants in the intervention group viewed a 2-min video of an actor describing lifetime hardships resulting from CM and how she benefited from psychotherapy. Control group participants observed a same-length video in which the actress described her daily activities, without any mention of CM. Self-stigma was assessed before, after, and 30 days following the intervention.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Mean self-stigma scores significantly decreased from pre- to postintervention in the intervention group, as compared to the control group. Increases in openness to treatment-seeking did not reach significance. We did not find significant differences between the groups at baseline and 30-day follow-up assessments.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This is the first study to demonstrate the efficacy of a brief, cost-effective, and easily disseminated video-based intervention to reduce self-stigma among CM survivors. This approach could help empower individuals with a history of CM, potentially encouraging treatment-seeking. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).</p>","PeriodicalId":20982,"journal":{"name":"Psychological trauma : theory, research, practice and policy","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142954083","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A randomized trial of virtual reality eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy for major depressive disorder with childhood trauma: A 3-month follow-up study.","authors":"Shuya Yan, Shuming Zhong, Sihui Lyu, Shunkai Lai, Yiliang Zhang, Yange Luo, Hanglin Ran, Manying Duan, Yanbin Jia","doi":"10.1037/tra0001830","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0001830","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR) is effective in treating major depressive disorder (MDD) with childhood trauma, and virtual reality (VR) can further extend its application form. However, the utilization of VR-EMDR in treating MDD with childhood trauma is still in its infancy, and whether it can improve depressive symptoms and traumatic experience remains unknown.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>Seventy-two MDD patients were randomly allocated to the intervention group and the wait-list control group on a 1:1 basis. The intervention group received 12-session VR-EMDR, while another group received no intervention. We used Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-24 Version (24-HDRS) to assess the patient's subjective and objective depressive symptoms, the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Check List-Civilian (PCL-C) to assess the patient's traumatic experience, the Massachusetts General Hospital Cognitive and Physical Functioning Questionnaire, and the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery to assess the patient's subjective and objective cognitive performance.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>After VR-EMDR, the linear mixed model revealed significantly lower scores in PHQ-9, 24-HDRS total and factor score (including anxiety/somatization, weight, and block), Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Check List-Civilian, and Massachusetts General Hospital Cognitive and Physical Functioning Questionnaire and significantly higher scores in information processing speed, attention/alertness, and working memory in the intervention group (<i>p</i> < .05). Improvements can be maintained in the 3-month follow-up, except for 24-HDRS anxiety/somatization factor score, which showed significantly higher scores in the 3-month follow-up compared with postintervention (<i>p</i> < .05).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>VR-EMDR is effective in improving depressive symptoms, traumatic experience, and cognitive performance in MDD with childhood trauma. Part of the effects can be maintained 3 months after the intervention. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).</p>","PeriodicalId":20982,"journal":{"name":"Psychological trauma : theory, research, practice and policy","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142954102","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}