Record 1 of 193 in MEDLINE(R) on CD 2002/01-2002/06
TITLE: Peritraumatic dissociation and physiological response to trauma-relevant stimuli in Vietnam combat veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder.
AUTHOR: Kaufman,-Milissa-L; Kimble,-Matthew-O; Kaloupek,-Danny-G; McTeague,-Lisa-M; Bachrach,-Peter; Forti,-Allison-M; Keane,-Terence-M
ADDRESS OF AUTHOR: National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Behavioral Science Division, VA Boston Healthcare System, Psychology 116B-2, 150 South Huntington Ave., Boston MA 02130, USA.
SOURCE: J-Nerv-Ment-Dis. 2002 Mar; 190(3): 167-74
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD SERIAL NUMBER: 0022-3018
LANGUAGE: English
ABSTRACT: A recent study found that female rape victims with acute posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who received a high score on the Peritraumatic Dissociative Experiences Questionnaire exhibited suppression of physiological responses during exposure to trauma-related stimuli. The goal of our present study was to test whether the same relationship holds true for male Vietnam combat veterans with chronic PTSD, using secondary analyses applied to data derived from a Veteran's Affairs Cooperative Study. Vietnam combat veterans (N = 1238) completed measures to establish combat-related PTSD diagnostic status, extent of PTSD-related symptomatic distress, and presence of dissociative symptoms during their most stressful combat-related experiences. Extreme subgroups of veterans with current PTSD were classified as either low dissociators (N = 118) or high dissociators (N = 256) based on an abbreviated version of the Peritraumatic Dissociative Experiences Questionnaire. Dependent variables reflected subjective distress along with heart rate, skin conductance, electromyographic, and blood pressure data when responding to neutral and trauma-related audiovisual and imagery presentations. Veterans in the current PTSD group had significantly higher dissociation scores than did veterans in the lifetime and never PTSD groups. Among veterans with current PTSD, high dissociators reported greater PTSD-related symptomatic distress than did low dissociators, but the groups did not differ with respect to physiological reactivity to the trauma-related laboratory presentations. Our results replicate the previously reported relationship between peritraumatic dissociation and PTSD status in Vietnam combat veterans. However, we found no association between peritraumatic dissociation and the extent of physiological responding to trauma-relevant cues in male veterans with chronic combat-related PTSD.
ACCESSION NUMBER: 21920985
Record 2 of 193 in MEDLINE(R) on CD 2002/01-2002/06
TITLE: Risk for traumatization among violent crime victims in an urban community sample in South Africa.
AUTHOR: Peltzer,-K
ADDRESS OF AUTHOR: Department of Psychology, University of the North.
SOURCE: Curationis. 2000 Dec; 23(4): 22-7
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD SERIAL NUMBER: 0379-8577
LANGUAGE: English
ABSTRACT: This study intended to investigate risk factors for the development of trauma symptoms as a consequence of violent crime in an urban South African community. The sample included 128 adult victims of violent crime chosen by snowball sampling. The adults were 36 (28.1%) males and 92 females (71.9%) in the age range of 18 to 52 years (M age 36.6 yr., SD = 8.9). Results indicate that the most common violent crimes experienced among the participants were rape (attempted rape), followed by physical assault, armed robbery, attempted murder and threat in that order. The majority of the victims scored high on the Kolner Risk Index (for traumatization)--several case examples are given. Analysis of Variance indicated that almost all factors of the Kolner Risk Index seem to be significantly correlated with PTSD outcome measures (PTSS-10, IES-R, Peritraumatic Dissociation and Trauma Belief). It is concluded that the Kolner Risk Index can be a useful tool for identifying crime victims at risk for the development of trauma symptoms, especially in (mental) health care settings.
ACCESSION NUMBER: 21946980
Record 3 of 193 in MEDLINE(R) on CD 2002/01-2002/06
TITLE: Psychotherapy for sexually abused girls: psychopathological outcome findings and patterns of change.
AUTHOR: Trowell,-J; Kolvin,-I; Weeramanthri,-T; Sadowski,-H; Berelowitz,-M; Glasser,-D; Leitch,-I
ADDRESS OF AUTHOR: The Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust, Child & Family Department, London, UK.
SOURCE: Br-J-Psychiatry. 2002 Mar; 180: 234-47
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD SERIAL NUMBER: 0007-1250
LANGUAGE: English
ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Controversy exists about the efficacy of psychotherapy for the mental health problems of sexually abused children. AIMS: To compare the relative efficacy of focused individual or group therapy in symptomatic sexually abused girls, and to monitor psychiatric symptoms for persistence or change. METHOD: A multi-centre psychotherapy outcome study recruited 71 sexually abused girls aged 6-14 years who were randomly assigned to focused individual psychotherapy (up to 30 sessions) or psychoeducational group therapy (up to 18 sessions). Changes over the course of the study were monitored. RESULTS: Both treatment groups showed a substantial reduction in psychopathological symptoms and an improvement in functioning, but with no evident difference between individual and group therapy. However, individual therapy led to a greater improvement in manifestations of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). CONCLUSIONS: The beneficial effects on PTSD support the use of individual therapy. However, the small sample size and lack of a control group limit conclusions about changes attributable to treatment.
ACCESSION NUMBER: 21861462
Record 4 of 193 in MEDLINE(R) on CD 2002/01-2002/06
TITLE: Adolescent substance use disorders and comorbidity.
AUTHOR: Simkin,-Deborah-R
ADDRESS OF AUTHOR: Adolescent Substance Abuse Committee, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Washington, DC, USA. deb62288@aol.com
SOURCE: Pediatr-Clin-North-Am. 2002 Apr; 49(2): 463-77
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD SERIAL NUMBER: 0031-3955
LANGUAGE: English
ABSTRACT: It is imperative to know what risk factors are more likely to appear during specific developmental stages so that identification and interventions can be used to decrease the risk for future SUD. Continued surveying of risk factors that can occur at any stage in childhood are important to ensure that other risk factors are anticipated and intervened upon as well. Multiple risk factors increase the magnitude of the risk for SUD, and therefore all risk factors should be detected to convert these to protective factors. Screening instruments that can assess risk factors found to increase the risk for substance abuse can be found in examples, such as the Drug Usage Screening Instrument [81] and the Problem-Oriented Screening Instrument for Teenagers. The detection of risk factors by primary care providers is becoming increasingly important. However, other professionals are beginning to recognize that early recognition and treatment can enable a youth to go on to a productive life in other arenas as well. Drug courts and diversion programs are beginning to treat first-time offenders and their families rather than taking the punitive approach. These have proven to be very successful. Primary care physicians also should become familiar with motivational enhancement therapy when confronting a youth with a suspected substance abuse problem [57]. This method has proven to be more effective in getting youth into treatment than the direct, confrontational style, which often puts the youth in a defensive mode. Motivational enhancement therapy includes interventions that are delivered in a neutral and empathetic way. The six components of motivational enhancement therapy (also called FRAMES) include: Feedback on personal impairment Emphasis on personal responsibility Clear advice to change Menu of alternative options Empathy as a counseling style Self-efficacy In this way, a clinician can elicit pros and cons, give advice, provide choices, practice empathy, clarify goals, and remove barriers. This technique allows youth to be less defensive and more proactive. Monti et al. [59] have demonstrated that this technique has been useful in getting youth into treatment. Primary care physicians can use instruments that will assess the possibility of both externalizing (e.g., ADHD) and internalizing (e.g., depression and anxiety) disorders. Examples of this type of instrument are the Auchenbach child behavior checklist, teacher report form, and youth self-report form, which survey symptoms for these disorders [1]. Social anxiety disorder can be detected by asking whether the prelatency child went into new situations willingly and tended to hang back or whether the child had difficulty separating from his or her parents. Other questions to ask are whether the child tended to isolate or was fearful of speaking in front of the class. Of course, any bruising or behavior that suggests exposure to adult-related sexual acts may cause concern for physical or sexual abuse and possible PTSD. However, interest in sex earlier than expected for the age of the child may also indicate the possibility of bipolar disorder. These children have many symptoms of ADHD with a high degree of irritability and may seem boastful or grandiose. They may be "daredevils" with no fear of dangerous consequences. Referral to a specialist is necessary to evaluate these children further. Because substance use at age 14 or 15 years can be predicted by academic and social behavior at ages 7 to 9 years, early detection of poor social skills and learning difficulties is essential [43]. Learning disorders can be uncovered by asking the school to do an evaluation. However, schools having economic problems may not be able to accommodate all requests. A parent may have to pay a private provider to complete this workup because insurance companies seldom pay for educational testing. Learning disorders may go undetected because many school systems opt to use a higher deviation from the full-scale IQ to detect learning problems. For instance, if a student has an IQ of 115, the standard nationally recommended deviation from this IQ to detect a learning disorder is 15. Therefore, any child who scores 100 or less on an achievement test should be considered to have a learning disorder. Some schools prefer to use a deviation of up to 23 so that learning disorders are not detected. Few schools screen for processing problems, including auditory and visual motor processing problems, processing speed, comprehension, and short-term and long-term memory problems. This is extremely important because ADHD can be confused with an auditory processing problem. Stimulants may help this condition, but accommodations must be made to ensure continued success. Early-intervention programs, such as Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE), proved to be ineffective because the programs did not target components that have been shown to predict future drug use [54]. One program that has targeted these components, normative beliefs, lifestyle-behavior incongruence, and commitment is the All Stars program [39,40]. A strong initial dosage with booster interventions for at least 2 years is also important [10]. Before a child is diagnosed with oppositional defiant disorder or conduct disorder, every effort should be made to detect any underlying psychiatric disorder that has not been treated and therefore may look like a conduct disorder (e.g., bipolar disorder). Proper psychopharmacologic interventions should be made for psychiatric disorders. If one drug has been ineffective, another untreated psychiatric disorder may be present, and it is always important to tease out what remaining symptoms are present after a therapeutic trial has been tried. It is important to form a team approach so that all risk factors can be approached. Members of the team often include a primary care physician, a child psychologist, the parents, the patient, a teacher, a school counselor, a child psychiatrist, and sometimes a pediatric neurologist. No one member of the treatment team can provide all of the necessary services to prevent the future risk for substance abuse.
ACCESSION NUMBER: 21989662
Record 5 of 193 in MEDLINE(R) on CD 2002/01-2002/06
TITLE: Psychophysiological reactivity in female sexual abuse survivors.
AUTHOR: McDonagh-Coyle,-A; McHugo,-G-J; Friedman,-M-J; Schnurr,-P-P; Zayfert,-C; Descamps,-M
ADDRESS OF AUTHOR: National Center for PTSD, VA Medical and Regional Office Center, White River Junction, Vermont 05009, USA. mcdonagh_coyle@dartmouth.edu
SOURCE: J-Trauma-Stress. 2001 Oct; 14(4): 667-83
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD SERIAL NUMBER: 0894-9867
LANGUAGE: English
ABSTRACT: This study examined psychophysiological reactivity in 37 female childhood sexual abuse (CSA) survivors. After assessment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), psychiatric comorbidity, and trauma history, we conducted a psychophysiological assessment of forehead muscle tension, electrodermal activity, and heart rate during a mental arithmetic task and4 script-driven imagery tasks (neutral, consensual sex, pleasant, and trauma). PTSD symptom severity correlated positively with psychophysiologic changes and negative emotions during the trauma imagery task. During mental arithmetic, PTSD symptom severity correlated negatively with autonomic changes and positively with negative emotions. These results extend earlier PTSD research showing trauma-specific increased psychophysiological reactivity related to CSA in women with PTSD. They further suggest a negative association between PTSD severity and autonomic reactions to mental arithmetic.
ACCESSION NUMBER: 21632140
Record 6 of 193 in MEDLINE(R) on CD 2002/01-2002/06
TITLE: The relationship of sleep quality and posttraumatic stress to potential sleep disorders in sexual assault survivors with nightmares, insomnia, and PTSD.
AUTHOR: Krakow,-B; Germain,-A; Warner,-T-D; Schrader,-R; Koss,-M; Hollifield,-M; Tandberg,-D; Melendrez,-D; Johnston,-L
ADDRESS OF AUTHOR: Sleep & Human Health Institute, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87110, USA. bkrakow@salud.unm.edu
SOURCE: J-Trauma-Stress. 2001 Oct; 14(4): 647-65
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD SERIAL NUMBER: 0894-9867
LANGUAGE: English
ABSTRACT: Sleep quality and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were examined in 151 sexual assault survivors, 77% of whom had previously reported symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) or sleep movement disorders (SMD) or both. Participants completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Posttraumatic Stress Scale (PSS). High PSQI scores reflected extremely poor sleep quality and correlated with PSS scores. PSQI scores were greater in participants with potential SDB or SMD or both. PSQI or PSS scores coupled with body-mass index and use of antidepressants or anxiolytics predicted potential sleep disorders. The relationship between sleep and posttraumatic stress appears to be more complex than can be explained by the current PTSD paradigm; and, sleep breathing and sleep movement disorders may be associated with this complexity.
ACCESSION NUMBER: 21632139
Record 7 of 193 in MEDLINE(R) on CD 2002/01-2002/06
TITLE: Post-traumatic stress disorder in primary care practice.
AUTHOR: Miller,-J-L
ADDRESS OF AUTHOR: Southwest Washington Medical Center, Vancouver, WA, USA. jlmarnp@pacifier.com
SOURCE: J-Am-Acad-Nurse-Pract. 2000 Nov; 12(11): 475-82; quiz 483-5
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD SERIAL NUMBER: 1041-2972
LANGUAGE: English
ABSTRACT: PURPOSE: To provide clinicians in primary care settings with guidelines on evaluation, diagnosis, and management of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). DATA SOURCES: Research-based articles in the medical and psychiatric literature, review articles, and diagnostic criteria. CONCLUSIONS: PTSD is a disorder where psychological and physiological reactions are closely related. Populations at risk include survivors of motor vehicle accidents, natural and man-made disasters, torture, and childhood sexual abuse, as well as combat veterans. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Patients with a history of recent trauma should be targeted for early screening and intervention. Effective treatment of PTSD is a three-stage process consisting of stabilization of symptoms, processing of traumatic perceptions, and integration of trauma into the patient's world- and self-view.
ACCESSION NUMBER: 21928630
Record 8 of 193 in MEDLINE(R) on CD 2002/01-2002/06
TITLE: Psychometric study of a brief screen for PTSD: assessing the impact of multiple traumatic events.
AUTHOR: Carlson,-E-B
ADDRESS OF AUTHOR: Department of Veterans Affairs, Palo Alto Health Care System, Menlo Park, California, USA. eve.carlson@med.va.gov
SOURCE: Assessment. 2001 Dec; 8(4): 431-41
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD SERIAL NUMBER: 1073-1911
LANGUAGE: English
ABSTRACT: Most measures of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms are limited in that they focus on a single traumatic event and cannot be used to assess symptoms in persons who report no traumatic events. The utility of the brief PTSD measures that do not key to a single trauma is limited by lengthiness and high reading levels. The Screen for Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms (SPTSS) is a brief, self-report screening instrument for PTSD symptoms that overcomes these limitations by assessing PTSD symptoms using a low reading level and without keying them to a specific traumatic event. In a sample of 136 psychiatric inpatients, the SPTSS showed good internal consistency, a high sensitivity rate, and a moderate specificity rate. The concurrent and construct validity of the SPTSS were supported by strong correlations with symptom and trauma experience measures and by comparisons of SPTSS scores of groups with different trauma histories.
ACCESSION NUMBER: 21642862
Record 9 of 193 in MEDLINE(R) on CD 2002/01-2002/06
TITLE: Post-traumatic stress disorder: findings from the Australian National Survey of Mental Health and Well-being.
AUTHOR: Creamer,-M; Burgess,-P; McFarlane,-A-C
ADDRESS OF AUTHOR: National Centre for PTSD, Mental Health Research Institute, University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
SOURCE: Psychol-Med. 2001 Oct; 31(7): 1237-47
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD SERIAL NUMBER: 0033-2917
LANGUAGE: English
ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: We report on the epidemiology of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the Australian community, including information on lifetime exposure to trauma, 12-month prevalence of PTSD, sociodemographic correlates and co-morbidity. METHODS: Data were obtained from a stratified sample of 10,641 participants as part of the Australian National Survey of Mental Health and Well-being. A modified version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview was used to determine the presence of PTSD, as well as other DSM-IV anxiety, affective and substance use disorders. RESULTS: The estimated 12-month prevalence of PTSD was 1-33%, which is considerably lower than that found in comparable North American studies. Although females were at greater risk than males within the subsample of those who had experienced trauma, the large gender differences noted in some recent epidemiological research were not replicated. Prevalence was elevated among the never married and previously married respondents, and was lower among those aged over 55. For both men and women, rape and sexual molestation were the traumatic events most likely to be associated with PTSD. A high level of Axis 1 co-morbidity was found among those persons with PTSD. CONCLUSIONS: PTSD is a highly prevalent disorder in the Australian community and is routinely associated with high rates of anxiety, depression and substance disorders. Future research is needed to investigate rates among other populations outside the North American continent.
ACCESSION NUMBER: 21537639
Record 10 of 193 in MEDLINE(R) on CD 2002/01-2002/06
TITLE: Physical symptoms, posttraumatic stress disorder, and healthcare utilization of women with and without childhood physical and sexual abuse.
AUTHOR: Farley,-M; Patsalides,-B-M
ADDRESS OF AUTHOR: Kaiser Foundation Research Institute, Oakland, California, USA.
SOURCE: Psychol-Rep. 2001 Dec; 89(3): 595-606
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD SERIAL NUMBER: 0033-2941
LANGUAGE: English
ABSTRACT: For four groups of women: no abuse, physical abuse alone, combined sexual and physical abuse, and unclear about memories of abuse, we examined the associations between childhood sexual and physical abuse, chronic physical symptoms in adulthood, PTSD, and health care utilization. Of a randomly selected sample of 600 adult femalc members of a health maintenance organization, 86 (14%) chose to participate. Women with a history of physical and sexual abuse in childhood reported significantly more cardiovascular, immune, musculoskeletal, neurologic, and reproductive symptoms than those without this history. While the Sexual/Physical Abuse group had the most chronic physical symptoms, medical visits, emergency room visits, prescriptions, and severe PTSD, the Unclear Memory group consistently ranked second on these same measures--higher than either Controls or the Physical Abuse group. Findings underscore the importance of screening for trauma history among patients seen in medical clinics, and the importance for psychotherapists of attending to patients' physical as well as psychological symptoms of childhood trauma.
ACCESSION NUMBER: 21682346
Record 11 of 193 in MEDLINE(R) on CD 2002/01-2002/06
TITLE: Trying to understand why horrible things happen: attribution, shame, and symptom development following sexual abuse.
AUTHOR: Feiring,-Candice; Taska,-Lynn; Chen,-Kevin
ADDRESS OF AUTHOR: New Jersey Medical School UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Newark 07107,USA. feirinca@umdnj.edu
SOURCE: Child-Maltreat. 2002 Feb; 7(1): 26-41
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD SERIAL NUMBER: 1077-5595
LANGUAGE: English
ABSTRACT: This study concerns the nature of specific attributions for sexual abuse and their relation to psychological distress over time. Participants (80 children and 57 adolescents) were seen within 8 weeks of discovery of the abuse and 1 year later They described why they believed the abuse happened, rated the extent to which internal and external attributions for the abuse event applied to them, and completed measures of general attribution styleforeveryday events, shame for the abuse, and symptoms of depression, PTSD, and self-esteem. Parents and teachers rated behavior problems. Abuse-specific internal attributions were consistently related to higher levels of psychopathology and were particularly importantforpredicting PTSD symptoms and parent and teacher reports of internalizing behavior problems, even after controlling for age, gender, abuse events, and general attributional style. Shame also was an important predictor of symptom level and mediated the relation between abuse-specific internal attributions and PTSD symptoms.
ACCESSION NUMBER: 21827140
Record 12 of 193 in MEDLINE(R) on CD 2002/01-2002/06
TITLE: Comparison of two treatments for traumatic stress: a community-based study of EMDR and prolonged exposure.
AUTHOR: Ironson,-G; Freund,-B; Strauss,-J-L; Williams,-J
ADDRESS OF AUTHOR: Behavioral Medicine Program, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33124-2070, USA. gironson@aol.com
SOURCE: J-Clin-Psychol. 2002 Jan; 58(1): 113-28
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD SERIAL NUMBER: 0021-9762
LANGUAGE: English
ABSTRACT: This pilot study compared the efficacy of two treatments for postraumatic stress disorder (PTSD): Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Prolonged Exposure (PE). Data were analyzed for 22 patients from a university-based clinic serving the outside community (predominantly rape and crime victims) who completed at least one active session of treatment after three preparatory sessions. Results showed both approaches produced a significant reduction in PTSD and depression symptoms, which were maintained at three-month follow-up. Successful treatment was faster with EMDR as a larger number of people (7 of 10) had a 70% reduction in PTSD symptoms after three active sessions compared to 2 of 12 with PE. EMDR appeared to be better tolerated as the dropout rate was significantly lower in those randomized to EMDR versus PE (0 of 10 vs. 3 of 10). However all patients who remained in treatment with PE had a reduction in PTSD scores. Finally, Subjective Units of Distress (SUDS) ratings decreased significantly during the initial session of EMDR, but changed little during PE. Postsession SUDS were significantly lower for EMDR than for PE. Suggestions for future research are discussed. Copyright 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
ACCESSION NUMBER: 21615115
Record 13 of 193 in MEDLINE(R) on CD 2002/01-2002/06
TITLE: Victimization and PTSD in a Danish national youth probability sample.
AUTHOR: Elklit,-Ask
ADDRESS OF AUTHOR: Institute of Psychology, University of Aarhus, Denmark. aske@psy.au.dk
SOURCE: J-Am-Acad-Child-Adolesc-Psychiatry. 2002 Feb; 41(2): 174-81
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD SERIAL NUMBER: 0890-8567
LANGUAGE: English
ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of traumatic events and life events in relation to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). METHOD: In a Danish national representative sample of 390 eighth-grade students with a mean age of 14.5 years, 20 prevalent potential traumatizing and distressing events were described, along with the psychological impact of these events. RESULTS: Eighty-seven percent of the females and 78% of the males were exposed to at least one event. The most common events were the death of a family member, threat of violence, or serious accidents. The most distressing subjective events were rape, suicide attempts, death in the family, serious illness, and childhood abuse. Gender, parents' education, and living with a single parent were associated with specific events. The estimated lifetime prevalence of PSTD was 9.0%, whereas another 14.1% reached a subclinical level of PTSD. After exposure, females suffered from PTSD twice as often as males. Being exposed to multiple traumatic events was associated with an increase in PTSD. CONCLUSION: The findings in this study suggest substantial mental health problems in adolescents who are associated with various types of victimization.
ACCESSION NUMBER: 21824764
Record 14 of 193 in MEDLINE(R) on CD 2002/01-2002/06
TITLE: PTSD symptoms and partner abuse: low income women at risk.
AUTHOR: Vogel,-L-C; Marshall,-L-L
ADDRESS OF AUTHOR: Department of Psychology, University of North Texas, Denton 76203, USA.
SOURCE: J-Trauma-Stress. 2001 Jul; 14(3): 569-84
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD SERIAL NUMBER: 0894-9867
LANGUAGE: English
ABSTRACT: Aspects of partner abuse (types, severity, chronicity, treatment of injury, fear, etc.) were addressed with low income community women, half of whom scored above the cutoff on the Crime Related PTSD scale. Using this cutoff 47% of women who sustained moderate violence were high in CR-PTSD symptoms. If their partner also raped them, the rate (63%) was similar to women who sustained severe violence (65%) or severe violence and rape (71%). No ethnic differences were found for rates or severity of CR-PTSD symptoms. A MANCOVA by ethnicity (African Americans, Euro-Americans, Mexican Americans) and CR-PTSD symptoms (low vs. high) identified ethnic differences only on total sexual aggression and recent threats of violence. The high symptom group reported more abuse on all measures. Results from the CR-PTSD and the general lack of ethnic differences support the notion that SES contributes more to women's vulnerability to abuse and stress symptoms than does ethnicity.
ACCESSION NUMBER: 21425853
Record 15 of 193 in MEDLINE(R) on CD 2002/01-2002/06
TITLE: Sleep difficulties and alcohol use motives in female rape victims with posttraumatic stress disorder.
AUTHOR: Nishith,-P; Resick,-P-A; Mueser,-K-T
ADDRESS OF AUTHOR: Department of Psychology, Center for Trauma Recovery, University of Missouri-St. Louis, 63121, USA. pnishith@umsl.edu
SOURCE: J-Trauma-Stress. 2001 Jul; 14(3): 469-79
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD SERIAL NUMBER: 0894-9867
LANGUAGE: English
ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between sleep difficulties and drinking motives in female rape victims with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Seventy-four participants were assessed for PTSD symptoms, depression, sleep difficulties, and drinking motives. Results demonstrated that neither PTSD symptoms nor depression were related to any motives for using alcohol. On the other hand, after controlling for education, sleep difficulties were significantly related to drinking motives for coping with negative affect, but not pleasure enhancement or socialization. The findings suggest that sleep difficulties may be an important factor contributing to alcohol use in rape victims with PTSD.
ACCESSION NUMBER: 21425846
Record 16 of 193 in MEDLINE(R) on CD 2002/01-2002/06
TITLE: Posttraumatic stress disorder and extent of trauma exposure as correlates of medical problems and perceived health among women with childhood abuse.
AUTHOR: Cloitre,-M; Cohen,-L-R; Edelman,-R-E; Han,-H
ADDRESS OF AUTHOR: Department of Psychiatry, New York Presbyterian Hospital-Cornell Medical Center, NY 10021, USA. mcloitre@med.cornell.edu
SOURCE: Women-Health. 2001; 34(3): 1-17
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD SERIAL NUMBER: 0363-0242
LANGUAGE: English
ABSTRACT: This study examined the relative contributions of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms and the extent of trauma exposure as factors contributing to the current health status of childhood abuse survivors. Sixty-seven women with a history of familial childhood abuse (sexual and/or physical) and twenty-nine women with no abuse history were assessed on two distinct aspects of health status: reported number of medical problems and perceptions of overall health. Women with abuse were found to have a greater number of medical problems and poorer perceived physical well-being than the no abuse comparison group. Regression analyses of the women with abuse histories revealed that trauma exposure was a stronger predictor than PTSD symptoms of medical problems. PTSD symptoms, however, were better predictors of the experience of physical well-being than trauma exposure. These results suggest that the nature of a traumatic exposure, especially when there is repeated, cumulative trauma may be more significant to medical problems than the psychological symptoms of PTSD. Perceived health, however, appears to be predominantly influenced by psychological factors, suggesting the importance of these variables in the quality of life of multiply traumatized women.
ACCESSION NUMBER: 21565006
Record 17 of 193 in MEDLINE(R) on CD 2002/01-2002/06
TITLE: Revictimization and information processing in women survivors of childhood sexual abuse.
AUTHOR: Field,-N-P; Classen,-C; Butler,-L-D; Koopman,-C; Zarcone,-J; Spiegel,-D
ADDRESS OF AUTHOR: Pacific Graduate School of Psychology, Palo Alto, CA 94303, USA. n.field@pgsp.edu
SOURCE: J-Anxiety-Disord. 2001 Sep-Oct; 15(5): 459-69
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD SERIAL NUMBER: 0887-6185
LANGUAGE: English
ABSTRACT: This study examined the effect of sexual revictimization on information processing of trauma-related stimuli in a sample of child sexual abuse (CSA) survivors diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Fifty-one treatment-seeking women participated in this study. Participants completed the Sexual Experiences Survey regarding sexual revictimization in the last 6 months and performed a modified emotional Stroop task in which they named the colors of neutral words (e.g., apple), general threat words (e.g., malignant and death), and sexual/victimization words (e.g., penis and abuser). As predicted, the revictimized participants (n = 16) took significantly longer to color-name sexual/victimization words than did the nonrevictimized participants. These results suggest that revictimization serves to prime preexisting "trauma" memory networks, thereby amplifying the impact of childhood sexual trauma on selective attention toward trauma-related stimuli.
ACCESSION NUMBER: 21466768
Record 18 of 193 in MEDLINE(R) on CD 2002/01-2002/06
TITLE: Developmental vulnerabilities to the onset and course of bipolar disorder.
AUTHOR: Post,-R-M; Leverich,-G-S; Xing,-G; Weiss,-R-B
ADDRESS OF AUTHOR: Biological Psychiatry Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-1272, USA.
SOURCE: Dev-Psychopathol. 2001 Summer; 13(3): 581-98
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD SERIAL NUMBER: 0954-5794
LANGUAGE: English
ABSTRACT: Different types of psychosocial stressors have long been recognized as potential precipitants of both unipolar and bipolar affective episodes and the causative agents in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). New preclinical data have revealed some of the neurobiological mechanisms that could convey the long-term behavioral and biochemical consequences of early stressors. Depending on the timing, quality, quantity, and degree of repetition, maternal deprivation stress in the neonatal rodent can be associated with lifelong anxiety-like behaviors, increases in stress hormones and peptides. and proneness to drug and alcohol administration, in association with acute changes in the rate of neurogenesis and apoptosis (preprogrammed cell death) and decrements in neurotrophic factors and signal transduction enzymes necessary for learning and memory. Patients with bipolar illness who have a history of early extreme adversity (physical or sexual abuse in childhood or adolescence), compared with those without, show an earlier onset of illness, faster cycling frequencies, increased suicidality, more Axis I and Axis II comorbidities (including alcohol and substance abuse), and more time ill in more than 2 years of prospective follow-up. These findings are subject to a variety of interpretations, but to the extent that the more severe course of bipolar illness characteristics are directly and causally related to these early stressful experiences, early recognition and treatment of high-risk children could be crucial in helping to prevent or ameliorate the long-term adverse consequences of these stressors.
ACCESSION NUMBER: 21414701
Record 19 of 193 in MEDLINE(R) on CD 2002/01-2002/06
TITLE: Stressor characteristics and post-traumatic stress disorder symptom dimensions in war victims.
AUTHOR: Henigsberg,-N; Folnegovic-Smalc,-V; Moro,-L
ADDRESS OF AUTHOR: Vrapce Psychiatric Hospital and Croatian Institute for Brain Research, Zagreb, Croatia. neven.henigsberg@zg.hinet.hr
SOURCE: Croat-Med-J. 2001 Oct; 42(5): 543-50
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD SERIAL NUMBER: 0353-9504
LANGUAGE: English
ABSTRACT: AIM: To evaluate how the type of trauma is related to specific symptom patterns in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) criteria. METHODS: A total of 136 PTSD patients exposed to war-related traumatic experiences were divided in four groups: 79 veterans, 18 former prisoners (who witnessed or were subject to torture or frequent assaults), 15 victims of rape, and 24 refugees from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Each group was homogenous in regard to traumatic experiences. RESULTS: Significant inter-group differences were found in symptoms listed in the DSM-IV criteria, and under criteria C (avoidance) and D (arousal). No such differences were observed in symptoms listed under criterion B (intrusive symptoms). The results indicate that stressor characteristics may play a role not only in the variety of symptoms exhibited, but particularly in the number of avoidance and arousal symptoms. Victims of rape tended to present with more avoidance symptoms and fewer hyperarousal symptoms, whereas former prisoners and veterans tended to report more hyperarousal symptoms. Rape victims and former prisoners also reported more symptoms than the other groups. CONCLUSION: There is a strong indication that stressor characteristics influence the variety and number of exhibited intrusive, avoidance, and arousal symptoms. More research is needed to precisely define individual symptom dimensions possibly relating to particular stressor characteristics. Additional studies are needed to determine whether PTSD, as it is currently defined in the DSM-IV, is really a homogenous diagnostic category.
ACCESSION NUMBER: 21479287
Record 20 of 193 in MEDLINE(R) on CD 2002/01-2002/06
TITLE: Substance abuse as a symptom of childhood sexual abuse.
AUTHOR: Teusch,-R
ADDRESS OF AUTHOR: Psychoanalytic Society and Institute, USA.
SOURCE: Psychiatr-Serv. 2001 Nov; 52(11): 1530-2
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD SERIAL NUMBER: 1075-2730
LANGUAGE: English
ABSTRACT: The recovery process of a 37-year-old woman with adult onset posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is presented. The patient had suffered childhood sexual abuse and had self-medicated for many years with drugs and alcohol to maintain the dissociation of memories of abuse and to facilitate interpersonal functioning. Upon onset of PTSD, the patient's substance abuse became a full-blown addiction that was highly resistant to treatment. It became evident that her substance abuse symbolically repeated her traumatization. In reexperiencing the affects associated with her earlier trauma (despair, denial, shame, and helplessness) as part of her substance abuse and in the transference, the patient was able to gain mastery over these affects and, subsequently, was able to achieve a stable recovery from both illnesses.
ACCESSION NUMBER: 21542189
Record 21 of 193 in MEDLINE(R) on CD 2002/01-2002/06
TITLE: Predictors of PTSD symptom severity and social reactions in sexual assault victims.
AUTHOR: Ullman,-S-E; Filipas,-H-H
ADDRESS OF AUTHOR: Department of Criminal Justice (M/C 141), University of Illinois at Chicago, 1007 West Harrison Street, Chicago, Illinois 60607-7140, USA. seullman@uic.edu
SOURCE: J-Trauma-Stress. 2001 Apr; 14(2): 369-89
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD SERIAL NUMBER: 0894-9867
LANGUAGE: English
ABSTRACT: Demographics, assault variables, and postassault responses were analyzed as correlates of PTSD symptom severity in a sample of 323 sexual assault victims. Regression analyses indicated that less education, greater perceived life threat, and receipt of more negative social reactions upon disclosing assault were each related to greater PTSD symptom severity. Ethnic minority victims reported more negative social reactions from others. Victims of more severe sexual victimization reported fewer positive, but more negative reactions from others. Greater extent of disclosure of the assault was related to more positive and fewer negative social reactions. Telling more persons about the assault was related to more negative and positive reactions. Implications of these results for developing contextual theoretical models of rape-related PTSD are discussed.
ACCESSION NUMBER: 21362813
Record 22 of 193 in MEDLINE(R) on CD 2002/01-2002/06
TITLE: Posttraumatic stress disorder in rape victims: autonomic habituation to auditory stimuli.
AUTHOR: Rothbaum,-B-O; Kozak,-M-J; Foa,-E-B; Whitaker,-D-J
ADDRESS OF AUTHOR: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, 1365 Clifton Road, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA. brothba@emory.edu
SOURCE: J-Trauma-Stress. 2001 Apr; 14(2): 283-93
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD SERIAL NUMBER: 0894-9867
LANGUAGE: English
ABSTRACT: Impaired capacity for physiological habituation may contribute to the persistence of PTSD. Habituation of autonomic responses to auditory tones was examined in 43 women in three groups: 14 adult female rape survivors with chronic PTSD, 11 without PTSD, and a comparison group of 18 who had not been raped. There were no significant differences among the groups in baseline cardiac or electrodermal activity. The PTSD group showed significantly slower electrodermal habituation, as measured by trials to extinction and percentage of nonhabituators, than did the comparison groups. The present study found slower habituation of electrodermal responses for PTSD rape victims to neutral stimuli than for non-PTSD victims and nonvictims.
ACCESSION NUMBER: 21362807
Record 23 of 193 in MEDLINE(R) on CD 2002/01-2002/06
TITLE: Clinical and psychosocial characteristics of substance-dependent pregnant women with and without PTSD.
AUTHOR: Moylan,-P-L; Jones,-H-E; Haug,-N-A; Kissin,-W-B; Svikis,-D-S
ADDRESS OF AUTHOR: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
SOURCE: Addict-Behav. 2001 May-Jun; 26(3): 469-74
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD SERIAL NUMBER: 0306-4603
LANGUAGE: English
ABSTRACT: The present study compared psychiatric and psychosocial functioning in 123 pregnant opiate- and/or cocaine-dependent women with and without a comorbid diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Participants were enrolled in a comprehensive perinatal drug treatment program and completed assessments upon admission. Lifetime diagnostic prevalence of PTSD [Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Disorders (SCID) confirmed] among the sample was 19%. Participants with PTSD (n=24) reported greater need for psychiatric treatment, were more likely to report a previous suicide attempt, and had more previous drug treatments than participants without PTSD (n=99). Women with PTSD were twice as likely to have lifetime Axis I and Axis II disorders and had higher rates of abuse than women without PTSD. Lifetime sexual abuse and ASI family/social composite scores were significant predictors of PTSD. Findings suggest that pregnant drug-dependent women with comorbid PTSD may benefit from specialized treatment services for trauma and/or abuse issues.
ACCESSION NUMBER: 21329933
Record 24 of 193 in MEDLINE(R) on CD 2002/01-2002/06
TITLE: The detection of malingered posttraumatic stress disorder with MMPI-2 fake bad indices.
AUTHOR: Elhai,-J-D; Gold,-S-N; Sellers,-A-H; Dorfman,-W-I
ADDRESS OF AUTHOR: Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314, USA.
SOURCE: Assessment. 2001 Jun; 8(2): 221-36
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD SERIAL NUMBER: 1073-1911
LANGUAGE: English
ABSTRACT: This investigation explored the effect of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) simulation on Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) responses, to detect malingered from genuine PTSD. Sixty-four adult PTSD outpatients at a child sexual abuse (CSA) survivor treatment program were compared with 85 adult college students instructed and trained to malinger PTSD. MMPI-2 overreporting indices examined were F, F-Fb, F-K, F(p), Ds2, O-S, OT, and FBS. A stepwise discriminant analysis identified F(p), F-K, and O-S as the best malingering predictors. A predictive discriminant analysis yielded good hit rates for the model, with impressive cross-validation results. Cutoff scores were assessed for the model's predictors. Clinical implications for detecting malingered PTSD using the MMPI-2 are discussed.
ACCESSION NUMBER: 21321537