Search

Background: Elevated levels of stress, anxiety, and depression are common symptoms in graduate students pursuing a degree in the health care professions. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic likely complicated these existing issues. Purpose: To confirm this hypothesis, researchers created a survey to examine the experiences of graduate nursing students during COVID-19. Methods: Graduate nursing students (n = 222) completed the survey, which included 2 instruments: the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) and the Impact of Events Scale (IES-R). Results: Nearly 25% of students expressed moderate to extremely severe levels of negative emotional states on the DASS-21, and 23.8% of students scored within the area of clinical concern for the presence of posttraumatic stress disorder on the IES-R. Conclusions: Understanding levels of mental health and associated factors that may contribute to changes can assist administration, faculty, and staff in targeting resources and interventions to support graduate nursing students to continue their education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the coping strategies used by family decision makers of adult critical care patients during and after the critical care experience and the relationship of coping strategies to posttraumatic stress symptoms experienced 60 days after hospitalization. Design: A single-group descriptive longitudinal correlational study. Setting: Medical, surgical, and neurological ICUs in a large tertiary care university hospital. Patients: Consecutive family decision makers of adult critical care patients from August 2012 to November 2013. Study inclusion occurred after the patient's fifth day in the ICU. Interventions: None. Measurements and Main Results: Family decision makers of incapacitated adult ICU patients completed the Brief COPE instrument assessing coping strategy use 5 days after ICU admission and 30 days after hospital discharge or death of the patient and completed the Impact of Event Scale-Revised assessing posttraumatic stress symptoms 60 days after hospital discharge. Seventy-seven family decision makers of the eligible 176 completed all data collection time points of this study. The use of problem-focused (p = 0.01) and emotion-focused (p < 0.01) coping decreased over time while avoidant coping (p = 0.20) use remained stable. Coping strategies 30 days after hospitalization (R2 = 0.50, p < 0.001) were better predictors of later posttraumatic stress symptoms than coping strategies 5 days after ICU admission (R2= 0.30, p = 0.001) controlling for patient and decision- maker characteristics. The role of decision maker for a parent and patient death were the only noncoping predictors of posttraumatic stress symptoms. Avoidant coping use 30 days after hospitalization mediated the relationship between patient death and later posttraumatic stress symptom severity. Conclusions: Coping strategy use is a significant predictor of posttraumatic stress symptom severity 60 days after hospitalization in family decision makers of ICU patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Empirical data have challenged chronic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) consisting of three dimensions. In the present study we aimed to determine the factor structure of acute posttraumatic symptoms in two recently traumatized samples. In sample 1, 203 civilian trauma survivors were administered the Davidson Trauma Scale (DTS) approximately 1 week posttrauma. In sample 2, 182 civilian treatment seeking trauma survivors completed the DTS at an average of 41.4 days posttrauma. Our confirmatory factor analyses indicated that a 4-factor intercorrelated model provided the best representation of the data in both samples. The four factors are best described as reexperiencing, active avoidance, dysphoria, and hyperarousal. For acute posttraumatic symptoms, the empirical data suggest to split the avoidance cluster into ‘Active avoidance’ and ‘Dysphoria’—confirming findings in studies on chronic PTSD. In future revisions of the DSM, the diagnostic criteria for PTSD may need to be adapted to fit the research findings. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The present study examined the relationship between heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) levels assessed at multiple time points posttrauma and subsequent acute posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms present at a 1-month follow-up. HR and BP levels were measured in 65 motor vehicle accident (MVA) survivors during Emergency Medical Service transport, upon admission to the trauma unit, for the first 20 min postadmission and on the day of discharge. Hierarchical linear modeling analyses revealed no significant relationships between cardiovascular levels and acute PTSD symptoms. Given the small sample size, these results should be interpreted with caution. However, the present results question the use of initial cardiovascular levels as predictors of subsequent acute PTSD in seriously injured MVA victims. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of providing early interventions to acutely traumatized children is not yet known. No research has examined the potential benefits or harm of providing brief psychosocial interventions to children in the immediate aftermath of trauma exposure. Three studies have documented the efficacy of providing trauma-focused, cognitive–behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) to symptomatic children within 1–6 months of experiencing sexual abuse. Several controlled and open studies of traumatized children with chronic posttraumatic stress disorder have provided additional support for TF-CBT interventions; however, the optimal dosage and critical components of TF-CBT for traumatized children have not been determined. Only one randomized controlled pharmacologic trial has been conducted for acutely traumatized children; open studies of various pharmacologic treatments are limited by methodologic shortcomings but suggest that there are promising agents for evaluation in future controlled trials. The importance and feasibility of conducting early screening of trauma-exposed children is discussed, and recommendations for research priorities are presented. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective: Stroke is the second most common cause of death and the leading cause of adult disability. Both stroke patients and their family can therefore experience increased traumatic stress level., Methods: The participants are close relatives of patients (n=65) who had a first time stroke (CRPWS) hospitalized. A control group (CG) (n=61), who had no history of chronic illness in their family and had at least one traumatic life event experience. The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, Modified Rankin Scale, Personal Information Form, Life Events Checklist, Traumatic Stress Symptom Scale, and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, were used in the study., Results: We found no significant association between NIHSS and MRS of patients and traumatic stress level of the family member. The traumatic stress level was significantly higher in the CRPWS group than in the CG group. Traumatic stress level was higher in women than men and was not associated with perceived social support in the CRPWS group., Conclusion: The traumatic stress level of the relatives was not associated with the clinical features of the stroke patients. In the early phase, after the diagnosis of stroke, psychological support may be important to prevent CRPWS from PTSD.