Search

Higher lifetime trauma exposure and increased peritraumatic dissociation (PD) are well-known predictors of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms following new trauma (prospective PTSD symptoms). The interplay between those factors, however, is not well established. In this study, we aimed to assess whether PD mediates the influence of lifetime trauma exposure on prospective PTSD symptoms. A total of 387 adults visiting five emergency departments who had experienced a traumatic event within 72 hours completed baseline assessments on lifetime trauma exposure count and PD. PTSD symptoms were assessed 1 month later. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the mediation effect of PD in the relationship between lifetime trauma exposure count and 1-month PTSD symptoms. We found that PD mediated the association between lifetime trauma exposure count and 1-month PTSD symptoms, even after accounting for some confounders. However, the mediation was partial, accounting for 17.9% of the lifetime trauma exposure count's total effect. While this finding is significant, it also suggests that additional mechanisms beyond PD play a role in explaining the influence of higher lifetime trauma exposure on prospective PTSD symptoms. These findings provide valuable insights into the complex dynamics of PTSD development and call for further research to explore complementary factors and preventive strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & Objectives: Terror catastrophizing, defined as an ongoing fear of future terrorist attacks, is associated with a higher incidence of anxiety disorders, among other psychological impacts. However, previous studies examining terror catastrophizing’s relationship to other mental health disorders are limited. The current study sought to determine if patients diagnosed with anxiety and depression would experience increased terror catastrophizing. Additionally, this study aimed to investigate whether parental terror catastrophizing increases children’s internalizing symptoms. Design & Methods: Individuals were randomly drawn from the Danish Civil Registration System and invited to complete a series of questionnaires to measure terror catastrophizing tendency, lifetime parental trauma, and children’s internalizing symptoms. In total, n = 4,175 invitees completed the survey of which 933 reported on a child between 6 and 18 years. Responses were analyzed using a generalized linear regression model. Results: Participants diagnosed with anxiety alone or comorbid with depression were more likely to experience symptoms of terror catastrophizing than undiagnosed participants (β = 0.10, p < .001; β = 0.07, p = .012). Furthermore, the parental tendency to catastrophize terror was associated with higher internalizing symptoms in children (β = 0.09, p = .006), even after taking parental diagnoses, as well as lifetime and childhood trauma into account. Conclusion: The results can inform clinical practices to account for a patient’s potential to exhibit increased terror catastrophizing tendencies or be more affected by traumatic events. Additionally, they can offer insights for designing novel preventative interventions for the whole family, due to the relation between parental tendencies for terror catastrophizing and the internalizing symptoms observed in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Interpersonal traumas are common among expectant and new mothers and are found to have considerable impacts on women's mental health. These experiences may disrupt maternal perceptions of the mother-infant relationship, which is essential for healthy infant development, but findings are inconsistent. This study aims to explore associations between lifetime interpersonal traumas and their impact on self-reported mother-infant bonding.Methods: Secondary data analysis of a representative cohort of 453 women attending at a South London maternity service. Lifetime interpersonal trauma experience and its association with self-reported mother-infant bonding (Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire) was assessed in uni- and multivariable linear regressions, the latter adjusted to account for antenatal depressive and posttraumatic symptoms, measured using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Scale, and key sociodemographic risk factors.Results: Maternal lifetime trauma was not associated with perceived difficulties in mother-infant bonding at three months postnatal; however antenatal depressive symptoms, both with continuous EPDS score (0.33, 95% CI 0.17-0.50, p<0.001) and clinical cut-off ≥13 (4.26, 95% CI 2.02-6.49, p<0.001) were associated with self-reported bonding difficulties.Limitations: The composite trauma measurement did not allow for a comprehensive assessment of individual trauma types.Conclusions: There was no evidence for a link between maternal lifetime trauma experiences and self-reported bonding difficulties. However, an association between antenatal depressive symptoms and perceived postpartum bonding impairment was found. This highlights the importance of identification and treatment of depressive symptoms during pregnancy and offering women support in facilitating a positive mother-infant relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Trauma exposure is associated with the development of mood disorders and their phenotypic presentation. Cross-sectional associations between trauma exposure and mood disorders are well documented. Data on the association of trauma with longitudinal mood trajectories are lacking. We investigated the association between trauma exposure and weekly mood trajectories.Method: Mood disorder patients (N = 107; female = 81; mean age = 37.04 years), assessed for trauma exposure at baseline using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and Life Events Checklist (LEC), completed weekly telephonic mood assessments using the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (QIDS) and Altman Self-Rating Mania scale (ASRM) over a 16 week period commencing at one week post-discharge from hospital. Associations between trauma exposure, severity of mood symptoms and mood trajectories were analysed using Pearson's correlations, LS Mean scores, F-statistics, and RMANOVA.Results: Trauma exposure was persistently associated, albeit with some fluctuation in the strength of the association, with depressive symptomatology. Emotional abuse showed the most persistent association over time. Sexual abuse was minimally associated with depressive symptomatology. The severity of childhood trauma exposure was positively correlated with the severity of depressive symptoms. Lifetime traumatic events were significantly associated with mania scores, however there was no association between childhood trauma exposure and mania symptoms.Conclusion: Identification of both a history of childhood abuse and neglect and lifetime traumatic event exposure is important in the assessment and management of patients with mood disorders, as trauma can exert a persistent impact on depression trajectories and on symptom severity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Findings on structural brain alterations following trauma are inconsistent due probably to heterogeneity in imaging studies and population, clinical presentations, genetic vulnerability, and selection of controls. This study examines whether trauma and re-experiencing symptoms are associated with specific alterations in grey matter volumes and if this varies according to 5-HTTLPR genotype. Methods: Structural MRI was used to acquire anatomical scans from 377 community-dwelling older adults. Quantitative regional estimates of 22 subregional volumes were derived using FreeSurfer software. Lifetime trauma was assessed using the validated Watson's PTSD inventory, which evaluates the most severe trauma experienced according to DSM criteria. Analyses adjusted for age, sex, total brain volume, head injury, and comorbidities. Results: Of the 212 participants reporting lifetime trauma, 35.4% reported re-experiencing symptoms and for 1.9%, this was severe enough to meet criteria for full threshold PTSD. In participants with the SS 5-HTTLPR genotype only, re-experiencing symptoms were associated with smaller volumes in middle and superior temporal, frontal (lateral orbital, rostral and caudal middle) and parietal (precuneus, inferior and superior) regions. The trauma-exposed participants without re-experiencing symptoms were not significantly different from the non-trauma-exposed participants except for smaller precuneus and superior parietal region in traumatized participants and a larger amygdala in traumatized women specifically. Conclusions: In the non-clinical sample, lifetime trauma and re-experiencing symptoms were associated with smaller volume in prefrontal, temporal and parietal cortex subregions, and this varied according to serotonergic genetic vulnerability, 5-HTTLPR SS individuals being most susceptible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women's experience of trauma may cause lifelong alterations in physiological stress regulation, which can be transmitted to offspring in utero. We investigated, in a prospective pregnancy cohort, associations among maternal lifetime interpersonal trauma (IPT) history, prenatal cortisol dysregulation, and children's memory domains. Sex-specific effects were also explored. Pregnant women were enrolled from Brigham & Women's Hospital and affiliated clinics near Boston, MA, in 2002–2007. IPT was assessed with the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale, short form. Salivary cortisol was measured at five time points on each of three days in one week at 29.0 ± 5.1 weeks gestation, and morning rise and diurnal slope were calculated. The Wide Range Assessment of Memory & Learning, 2nd Edition was administered at 6.5 ± 1.0 years and scores were generated for general memory and three sub-domains: verbal, visual, and attention/concentration. In total, 258 maternal-child dyads provided memory and IPT and/or cortisol data. IPT was positively associated with verbal memory in boys (β ± SE: 4.6 ± 2.6) and inversely associated with visual memory score in girls (−6.5 ± 3.2). IPT did not predict prenatal cortisol, but prenatal cortisol modified the association between IPT history and child memory in varying coefficient models allowing for non-linear effect modification. The strongest evidence of interaction was for visual memory in boys: IPT history was associated with poorer visual memory only in those with flatter prenatal diurnal slope (interaction p =.005). Maternal lifetime IPT that leads to prenatal HPA dysregulation may have consequences for child memory, more so than either trauma or elevated cortisol alone. Boys may be more vulnerable to effects. Sex- and timing-specific effects require further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Cumulative lifetime exposure to potentially traumatic events and serious life stressors has been linked with both mental and physical health problems; however, less is known about the association between exposure to potentially traumatic events and serious life stressors with health care use. We investigated whether a higher number of potentially traumatic events and serious life stressors were prospectively associated with an increased number of doctor visits and nights spent in the hospital. Methods Participants were drawn from the Health and Retirement Study, a prospective and nationally representative study of adults aged 50+ in the United States (n=7168). We analyzed the data using a generalized linear model with a gamma distribution and log link. Results A higher number of potentially traumatic events and serious life stressors were associated with an increased number of doctor visits and nights spent in the hospital. On a 10-point scale, each additional potentially traumatic event or serious life stressor was associated with an 8% increase in doctor visits after controlling for sociodemographic factors (RR=1.08, 95% CI=1.06-1.11; p<.001). Each additional potentially traumatic event or serious life stressor was also associated with an 18% increase in the number of nights spent in the hospital after controlling for sociodemographic factors (RR=1.18, 95% CI=1.10-1.27; p<.001). Conclusion Exposure to potentially traumatic events and serious life stressors is associated with increased doctor visits and nights spent in the hospital, which may have important implications for the current standard of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study examined the relationship between self- and other-oriented potential lifetime traumatic events (PLTE) and loneliness at the second half of life. Method: The sample was comprised of 7446 respondents who completed the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) 2006 psychosocial questionnaire. PLTE were classified into self-oriented PLTE, defined as traumatic events that primarily inflict the self (e.g., being abused by parents) and other-oriented PLTE, defined as events that affect the self by primarily targeting others (e.g., death of one's child). We evaluated the role of self- and other-oriented PLTE as predictors of loneliness, as evaluated by the short R-UCLA. Analyses were stratified by age at which trauma happened categorized into four life periods (0–17, 18–30, 31–49, 50+). Results: The results showed that PLTE is positively related to loneliness. Moreover, the number of other-oriented PLTE, and even more pronouncedly self-oriented PLTE, that happened up until adulthood were the strongest predictors of loneliness at the second half of life. Conclusion: The study suggests that self- and other-oriented PLTE reported to have occurred early in life are associated with perceived loneliness in the second half of life. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: With a sample of 120 Gulf War veterans, the present study investigated the main effects of childhood and lifetime trauma, combat exposure, and coping strategies on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as combat exposure''s moderating effects on the other variables’ relationships with PTSD. Logistic regression results indicated correct classification of PTSD diagnosis for 88% of the participants, with combat exposure and avoidant coping making significant contributions to this classification. Multiple regression results indicated that lifetime trauma, combat exposure, and avoidant coping were strongly related to PTSD symptoms. Multiple regression results also revealed that combat exposure moderated the strength and direction of PTSD''s relationships with childhood trauma and avoidant coping. Study findings have implications for longitudinal investigation of PTSD development and preventive interventions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective: The experience of lifetime trauma among homeless women in the USA is well documented. Less information is available concerning homeless men. There are no prevalence studies concerning lifetime trauma among homeless people in Australia. Our aim was to assess the lifetime prevalence of trauma as reported by homeless men and women in Sydney. Method: We interviewed 119 men and 38 women who were visiting or residing at the seven largest refuges for homeless people in inner Sydney, using the lifetime trauma section of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Results: All women and over 90% of men reported at least one event of trauma in their life. Fifty-eight per cent suffered serious physical assault and 55% witnessed someone being badly injured or killed. Half the women and 10% of men reported that they had been raped. Conclusion: The experience of at least one lifetime event of trauma is almost universal among homeless people in Sydney and is considerably higher than for the USA general population. Reasons for such high prevalence rates are discussed. Depression and posttraumatic stress disorder are associated with a history of trauma. Health professionals need to be aware of past events of trauma among individuals who are homeless. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Symptom patterns were compared between Holocaust survivors in concentration camp (n = 70) and those who were in “hiding” (n = 30) during the war. The impact of age at the time of the trauma, gender, and cumulative lifetime stress, and the effect of each of these variables controlling for the others, on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms were also evaluated. A significant negative relationship between age at the time of the trauma and symptoms of psychogenic amnesia, hypervigilence and emotional detachment, and a positive correlation between age and intrusive thoughts, were observed. Cumulative lifetime stress was positively associated with symptoms of avoidance. The study provides the first empirical data regarding the factors that potentially explain individual differences in PTSD symptom patterns in Holocaust survivors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]