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Background: On October 7, 2023, a large-scale attack in Southern Israel and the ensuing war led to widespread casualties and the displacement of hundreds of thousands in Southern and Northern Israel. The conflict has exacerbated mental health issues. This randomized controlled trial assessed a brief social-contact-based video intervention on a large sample of individuals living in conflict zones, aiming to examine its effects on increasing treatment-seeking intentions. As a secondary aim, we tested changes in treatment-seeking behavior., Methods: Participants (N = 1,052), civilians in conflict zones in Israel, were randomized into either a brief video-based or a psychoeducational control intervention. The 2.5-minute video featured the personal story of a terrorist attack survivor sharing his traumatic experiences and subsequent mental health struggles. Treatment-seeking intentions were assessed at baseline, immediately post-intervention, and at a 30-day follow-up. Treatment-seeking behavior was assessed at the 30- and 90-day follow-ups., Results: The brief video intervention elicited an immediate increase in treatment-seeking intentions. A significant group-by-time interaction emerged (χ²=10.5, df=2, p=.005; Cohen's d = 0.36), particularly among male viewers (p<.001; d = 0.47). However, these effects were not sustained 30 days after the initial viewing. We found no effect on treatment-seeking behavior., Conclusions: This trial confirms the efficacy of a single brief social-contact-based video intervention in increasing treatment-seeking intentions, among those in conflict-affected areas. Although the impact was brief, this accessible intervention underscores its potential as a strategy to facilitate treatment-seeking intentions., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Information related to herpes simplex virus 1 and 2 (HSV-1 and 2), varicella-zoster virus (VZV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), and cytomegalovirus (CMV) seroprevalence in France is either lacking, incomplete, or outdated, despite their public health burden., Method: We used routinely collected serological data between 2018 and 2022 to estimate HSV-1, HSV-2, VZV, EBV, and CMV seroprevalence in France. To account for demographic differences between our analytic samples and the French population and get estimates for sparsely sampled districts and age classes, we used a multilevel regression and poststratification approach combined with Bayesian model averaging via stacking weights., Results: The observed seroprevalence (number of positive tests/number of tests) were 64.6% (93,294/144,424), 16.9% (24,316/144,159), 93.0% (141,419/152,084), 83.4% (63,199/75, 781), and 49.0% (23,276/47,525), respectively, for HSV-1, HSV-2, VZV, EBV, and CMV. Between 2018 and 2022, France had a model-based average (equal-tailed interval at 95%) expected seroprevalence equal to 61.1% (60.7,61.5), 14.5% (14.2,14.81), 89.5% (89.3,89.8), 85.6% (85.2,86.0), and 50.5% (49.3,51.7), respectively, for HSV-1, HSV-2, VZV, EBV, and CMV infections. We found an almost certain lower expected seroprevalence in Metropolitan France than in overseas territories for all viruses but VZV, for which it was almost certainly greater. The expected seroprevalences were likely greater among females for all viruses., Limitations: Our results relied on the assumption that individuals were sampled at random conditionally to variables used to build the poststratification table., Implications: The analysis highlights spatial and demographic patterns in seroprevalence that should be considered for designing tailored public health policies.

Childhood maltreatment (CM) is thought to be associated with altered responses to social stimuli and interpersonal signals. However, limited evidence exists that CM is linked to larger comfortable interpersonal distance (CID) - the physical distance humans prefer towards others during social interactions. However, no previous study has investigated this association in a comprehensive sample, yielding sufficient statistical power. Moreover, preliminary findings are limited to the European region. Finally, it is unclear how CM affects CID towards different interaction partners, and whether CID is linked to social functioning and attachment. To address these outstanding issues, adults (N = 2986) from diverse cultures and socio-economic strata completed a reaction time task measuring CID towards an approaching stranger and friend. Higher CM was linked to a larger CID towards both friends and strangers. Moreover, insecure attachment and less social support were associated with larger CID. These findings demonstrate for the first time that CM affects CID across countries and cultures, highlighting the robustness of this association., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Childhood maltreatment (CM) is associated with various mental health disorders, including PTSD, depression, and anxiety. This study explores how specific classifications - dichotomous (abuse versus neglect) and dimensional (physical, emotional, sexual) - relate to distinct psychopathologies. We recruited 642 individuals, screening them for CM history and symptoms. ANOVA, regression, and SEM analyses compared CM approaches and symptom associations. The dichotomous approach showed significant effects of abuse and neglect on all symptoms. In the dimensional approach, sexual and physical CM were primary features for PTSD, while sexual and emotional CM were primary for depression and anxiety. Overall, the dimensional approach outperformed the dichotomous approach in capturing symptoms, suggesting its importance in understanding psychopathologies and guiding therapeutic interventions. Our findings highlight the differential associations of CM experiences with PTSD, depression, and anxiety symptoms. The findings suggest the importance of a dimensional CM approach for understanding psychopathologies and possibly informing targeted therapeutic interventions., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Perceived social support is an established predictor of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after exposure to a traumatic event. Gender is an important factor that could differentiate responses to social support, yet this has been little explored. Symptoms of complex PTSD are also common following trauma but have been under-researched in this context. Large scale studies with culturally diverse samples are particularly lacking. Objectives: In a multi-country sample, we examined: (a) gender differences in perceived social support and both posttraumatic stress symptom severity (PTSS) and complex posttraumatic stress symptom severity (CPTSS); (b) associations between social support and PTSS/CPTSS; and (c) the potential moderating role of gender in the relationship between perceived social support and trauma-related distress. Method: A total of 2483 adults ( M age   = 30yrs, 69.9% females) from 39 countries, who had been exposed to mixed trauma types, completed the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support and the International Trauma Questionnaire (which captures PTSS/CPTSS). Regression analyses examined associations between gender, perceived social support, and PTSS/CPTSS; and tested for gender by social support interactions in predicting PTSS/CPTSS scores. Models were adjusted for age and socioeconomic status. Results: In our cross-country sample, females had greater PTSS/CPTSS than males ( B  = .23 [95% CI 0.16, 0.30], p  < .001; B  = .20 [0.12, 0.27], p  < .001; respectively), but there was no evidence of gender differences in perceived social support ( B  = .05 [-0.05, 0.16], p  = .33). For both genders, low perceived social support was associated with higher PTSS/CPTSS (females: B  = -.16 [-0.20, -0.12], p  < .001; B  = -.27 [-0.30, -0.24], p  < .001; respectively; males: B  = -.22 [-0.29, -0.15], p  < .001; B  = -.31 [-0.36, -0.26], p  < .001; respectively), and for PTSS only we found weak evidence that this association was stronger for males vs. females ( B  = .07 [0.04, 0.14, p  = .04). Conclusion: Individuals who feel more socially supported have lower trauma-related distress, and this association is similar in males and females. PTSD/CPTSD interventions may benefit from augmenting perceived social support, regardless of gender.

Background: Childhood maltreatment is a risk factor for developing multiple forms of psychopathology, including depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and anxiety. Yet, the mechanisms linking childhood maltreatment and these psychopathologies remain less clear. Objective: Here we examined whether self-stigma, the internalization of negative stereotypes about one's experiences, mediates the relationship between childhood maltreatment and symptom severity of depression, PTSD, and anxiety. Methods: Childhood trauma survivors ( N  = 685, M age = 36.8) were assessed for childhood maltreatment, self-stigma, and symptoms of depression, PTSD, and anxiety. We used mediation analyses with childhood maltreatment as the independent variable. We then repeated these mediation models separately for childhood abuse and neglect, as well as the different subtypes of childhood maltreatment. Results: Self-stigma significantly mediated the relationship between childhood maltreatment and depression, PTSD, and anxiety symptoms. For sexual abuse - but not physical or emotional abuse - a significant mediation effect of self-stigma emerged on all symptom types. For childhood neglect, self-stigma significantly mediated the relationship between both emotional and physical neglect and all symptom types. Conclusion: Our cross-sectional study suggests that different types of childhood maltreatment experiences may relate to distinct mental health problems, potentially linked to increased self-stigma. Self-stigma may serve as an important treatment target for survivors of childhood abuse and neglect.

Recent accounts of predictive processing in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) suggest that trauma-exposed individuals struggle to update trauma-related hypotheses predicting danger, which may be involved in the etiology and maintenance of this disorder. Initial research supports this account, documenting an association between trauma-exposure, impaired expectation updating, and PTSD symptoms. Yet, no study to date has examined biased belief updating in PTSD using a scenario-based approach. Objective: Here, we examined the predictive processing account among trauma-exposed and non-trauma-exposed individuals using a modified Trauma-Related version of the Bias Against Disconfirmatory Evidence task. Method: The task presents both danger-and safety-related scenarios highly relevant for trauma-exposed individuals. For each scenario, participants viewed several explanations and rated their plausibility. Their ability to update their initial interpretation following new-contradictory information was assessed. Results: Preregistered analyses did not reveal any significant findings. Based on indications that our sample may not have been sufficiently powered, we conducted exploratory analyses in an extended sample of participants. These analyses yielded a significant association between reduced belief updating and PTSD symptoms which was evident for disconfirming both safety and danger scenarios. However, the effect sizes we found were in the small-to-medium range. Conclusion: Although preliminary, our current findings support initial evidence that individuals with higher PTSD symptoms show a higher resistance to update their beliefs upon new disconfirmatory evidence. Our results should be interpreted cautiously in light of the extended sample and the limitations of the current study.

Background: Childhood trauma is a risk factor for developing multiple forms of psychopathology, including depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and social anxiety. Yet, the mechanisms linking childhood trauma and these psychopathologies remain less clear., Objective: Here we examined whether anhedonia, a reduced ability to experience pleasure, may mediate the relationship between childhood trauma and symptom severity of depression, PTSD, and social anxiety., Methods: A total of 230 trauma-exposed participants aged 18-75 were assessed for lifetime trauma exposure, including general and childhood traumatic events, anhedonia, and symptoms of depression, PTSD, and social anxiety., Results: Controlling for age, gender, and general lifetime trauma exposure, mediation analyses revealed a significant mediation effect of anhedonia for the relationship between childhood trauma and symptom severity of depression and PTSD, but not social anxiety. To better understand these significant mediation effects, we repeated the analyses separately for childhood abuse and neglect, and then for the various subtypes of each type of childhood trauma. Results showed a significant mediation effect of anhedonia on symptoms of both depression and PTSD in individuals who reported high emotional and sexual abuse levels. F Anhedonia was also found to mediate the relationship between both emotional and physical neglect and symptoms of depression and PTSD., Conclusion: These findings refine our understanding of the ways in which childhood traumatic experiences may be associated with different mental health problems by increasing anhedonia. Anhedonia may be an important treatment target in survivors of childhood abuse and neglect., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest in relation to the subject of this study., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)