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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]

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Copyright of European Journal of Psychotraumatology is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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]

Research consistently shows that incarcerated juveniles and adults experience high levels of prior traumatic experiences and stressful life events. Yet there is a gap in the literature addressing incarcerated older adults’ life-course experiences of traumatic and stressful life events and their initial and current subjective interpretations of these events. Given that untreated trauma has been linked to decreased health and mental well-being, and recidivism, the current study attempts to address this gap. A secondary data analysis was conducted of the Risk and Resilience Study on older adults in prison. It used a cross-sectional correlation design from an anonymous self-report, self-administered survey of a sample of 667 incarcerated older adults with a mean age of 56.5 years. Cumulative trauma (objective and subjective) was measured using the Life Stressors Checklist-Revised (LSC-R). Up to 70% of participants reported at least one of 31 types of lifetime traumatic or stressful events occurring in childhood and/or adulthood. On average, they also reported higher degrees of current subjective distress about being a victim as opposed to a witness of violence or other stressful experiences. This study helps to break the cycle of silence of trauma and stress among older adults in prison. The complex trauma histories and resulting needs of older adults in prison are a significant public health challenge that must be addressed. Specialized trauma-informed assessment and intervention strategies that may work more effectively with this sensitive population, especially in the challenging prison environment, are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article is an examination of the empirical literature published in peer-reviewed journals, which investigated samples of adults aged 50 and older, who had experienced trauma, in childhood with follow-up of the impact on later life mental and physical health. Articles were identified through searches of EBSCOhost databases, such as PubMed, SocioIndex, and PsychoLit. Search terms such as childhood trauma and cumulative trauma were paired with the term older adults in varying combinations. The collective findings of 23 studies published between 1996 and 2001 suggested that trauma first documented as occurring in childhood is associated with later life mental and physical health. Methodological limitations and future directions as well as recommendations for practice, policy, and research with older adults and trauma are delineated. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

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]

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]