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OBJECTIVE In this study, we tested direct pathways from trauma exposure to trauma symptomatology and risky and self-destructive behavior and indirect pathways through two cognitive and affective mechanisms: (a) world assumptions and (b) emotion dysregulation. METHOD A sample of 270 undergraduate students with an average age of 20.02 years participated in the study (204 women, 65 men, and one participant choosing not to disclose). Participants completed self-report measures assessing trauma exposure, trauma symptoms, emotion dysregulation, world assumptions, and lifetime and past-month engagement in any of 38 risky and self-destructive behaviors. RESULTS The direct path from trauma exposure to trauma symptoms was significant, and so was the indirect effect of self-worth assumptions on this association. The indirect pathway between trauma symptoms and risky and self-destructive behavior in the past month was significant through difficulties with impulse control when distressed. Trauma symptoms had an indirect effect on the association between trauma exposure and lifetime and past-month engagement in risky and self-destructive behavior, while the direct pathway from trauma exposure to lifetime engagement remained significant. CONCLUSION We offer theoretically and empirically supported integrative pathways that explicate some aspects of trauma exposure's negative sequelae with potential areas for intervention. Clinical Impact Statement: Trauma exposure is widespread and is associated with negative views about oneself and the world and with difficulties in managing one's emotions, which in part is associated with individuals' risk for developing psychopathology and engaging in risky and self-destructive behaviors. The findings inform optimal time for intervention and prevention efforts targeting trauma exposure. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

This multi-level meta-analysis tested if evidence-based trauma treatment was effective in reducing trauma symptoms and externalizing behavior problems in adolescents. Based on eight independent samples and 75 effect sizes, results indicated that Trauma Focused-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) had a large and significant overall effect ( d = 0.909) on reducing trauma symptoms and externalizing behavior problems. Trauma treatment significantly decreased trauma symptoms (large effect) and externalizing behavior problems (medium effect). Age and type of control group moderated treatment effects. Treatment was more effective in older adolescents. Trauma treatment for adolescents with externalizing behavior problems had a larger effect compared to no treatment, but not compared to treatment as usual. It seems important to provide a broad treatment offer for adolescents with severe externalizing behavior problems, in which, besides trauma treatment, attention is paid to reducing relevant individual risk factors for behavior problems.

CONTEXT Very young children are said to be a vulnerable group for exposure to trauma, and for a psychopathological response (e.g., PTSD) after a risk-exposure. The specific assessment of young children is necessary to enable them to be enrolled in an appropriate care pathway. OBJECTIVE The objective was to identify the instruments available in the English language for the assessment of posttraumatic symptoms in very young children (from 0- to 5-year old). DESIGN This article reports on a systematic review, conducted using the search engines Google Scholar, Science Direct, PsycArticles, and PubMed. RESULTS Nine instruments are available to specifically assess traumatic symptomatology in very young children (0-7-year old), five instruments are available for the broader assessment of very young children (1-6-year old), six instruments are available for the assessment of traumatic symptoms in very young children and in older children (2-18-year old), one instrument did not correspond to any category. These 21 tools are adapted to different ages, built according to different objectives, and do not rely on the same diagnostic algorithm. CONCLUSION Future research should compare the instruments quantitatively to identify those most specific and sensitive to the assessment of trauma symptoms in young children.

The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of persistence within STEM learning environments as a function of cumulative stress and latent trauma. The biopsychosocial impact of prolonged stressors due to hostile environments and academic demands has deleterious health effects on historically underrepresented students who enter STEM disciplines. The Trauma Symptoms Checklist for Children, clinical histories, and psychophysiomeasurement tools were used to measure the effects of cumulative stress and latent trauma as historically underrepresented students persisted through high school STEM discipline classes. Elevated responses on the inventory and history were triangulated through measures of biological markers for cumulative stress and developed into a profile combination of traits to identify those students likely to show symptomology consistent with the negative effects of cumulative stress and latent trauma. Examination of these outcomes using a latent class profile analysis model suggested the presence of cumulative stress resulting from program participation was significant.

Most out-of-home placed children have experienced early adversities, including maltreatment and neglect. A challenge for caregivers is to adequately interpret their foster child’s internal mental states and behavior. We examined caregivers’ mind-mindedness in out-of-home care, and the association among caregivers’ mind-mindedness (and its positive, neutral, and negative valence), recognition of the child’s trauma symptoms, and behavior problems. Participants (N = 138) were foster parents, family-home parents, and residential care workers. Caregivers’ mind-mindedness was assessed with the describe-your-child measure. Caregivers’ recognition of the child’s trauma symptoms, their child’s emotional symptoms, conduct problems, prosocial behavior, and quality of the caregiver-child relationship were assessed using caregivers’ reports. Foster parents produced more mental-state descriptors than did residential care workers. General mind-mindedness, as well as neutral and positive mind-mindedness, related negatively to conduct problems. Besides, positive mind-mindedness was associated with prosocial behavior and neutral mind-mindedness with a better quality of the caregiver-child relationship and fewer child conduct problems. Negative mind-mindedness related positively to the caregiver’s recognition of the child’s trauma symptoms, and indirectly, to emotional symptoms. In conclusion, mind-mindedness seems to be an essential characteristic of out-of-home caregivers, connected to the understanding of their child’s behavior problems and trauma symptoms, as well as to the relationship with the child. The findings suggest a possible use of mind-mindedness in out-of-home care evaluation and intervention.

Using a sample of 107 clinical couples in which both had experienced childhood trauma, the study investigated if and to what extent each spouse’s trauma symptoms and relationship satisfaction were ...

The histories of incarcerated women exhibit a multitude of personality issues including psychopathy, trauma, and interpersonal dependency. Two studies were undertaken to better understand these iss...

Objective: The present study examined the protective role of partner support in reducing daily experiential avoidance (EA) associated with trauma symptoms in a sample of 154 couples during pregnancy. Background: Although psychological distress during pregnancy may hinder the developing bond between parents and infants after birth, high quality intimate partner support has the potential to enhance psychological wellbeing during pregnancy, particularly in the context of trauma. Specifically, partner support might mitigate the impact of trauma symptoms on maladaptive coping strategies such as EA by enabling individuals to safely encounter their distress. Method: Participants completed a semi-structured clinical interview of support and a PTSD symptom inventory, followed by home surveys of EA over 14 days. We examined growth trajectories of EA over 14 days using latent trajectory modeling within a dyadic framework. Results: Trauma symptom severity was associated with higher levels of EA across the 2 weeks; however, among women, the impact of trauma symptoms on EA was no longer significant when support from a partner was above average quality or higher. Findings also revealed partner effects; to the extent that women reported higher levels of trauma symptoms, their partners had higher levels of EA. Conclusion: Findings highlight the protective role of high quality support from intimate partners and suggest that trauma-related interventions targeting partner support processes, especially those implemented during pregnancy, might enhance recovery and prevent further distress and dysfunction among pregnant women experiencing trauma symptoms.

Several studies have found evidence of altered cortisol levels in patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Based on these findings, it is assumed that these patients may show signs of cortisol dysregulation after trauma. Posttrauma cortisol levels are thus considered a potential biomarker of PTSD. However, longitudinal studies using indicators of long-term cortisol secretion (such as hair cortisol concentrations; HCC) are scarce. The current study investigated prospective associations between HCC and PTSD symptoms in a sample of Dutch firefighters taking into account varying levels of work-related trauma severity. In addition, we assessed posttraumatic sleep disturbances as a secondary outcome measure to investigate whether effects generalize to this frequent comorbidity of PTSD. Three hundred seventy-one Dutch firefighters with a mean of 14.01 years of work experience were included in the analyses. Baseline assessment included the collection of hair samples and the measurement of work-related trauma severity, PTSD symptoms, and sleep disturbances. PTSD symptoms and sleep disturbance were re-assessed after six and twelve months. Multilevel analyses indicate a significant positive correlation between HCC and baseline PTSD symptoms in those with average or above-average work-related trauma severity. A similar pattern was evident for posttraumatic sleep disturbances at baseline. Moreover, higher HCC predicted more posttraumatic sleep disturbances after 6 months in participants with above-average work-related trauma severity. No other associations emerged for PTSD symptoms or posttraumatic sleep disturbances at six or twelve months. As such, our study supports the existence of a cross-sectional association between HCC and trauma symptoms, which may vary for different levels of subjective trauma severity. The longitudinal stability of this association should be reinvestigated by future research.

There are demonstrated links in the general population between developmental adversity, associated trauma symptoms, and executive functioning difficulties in children and youth. However, research on links among these indicators and their relationship to antisocial behavior more broadly in samples of youth who have sexually harmed is only beginning to emerge. Some research indicates that intermediary factors like sexual concerns may be critical in understanding this population. This study explored relationships between trauma symptoms, sexual concerns, executive functioning, and their relationship to non-sexual delinquency in a sample of 196 youth who committed sexual harm. Structural equation modeling revealed numerous direct and indirect effects on the path to delinquency and that executive functioning plays a key role among those with serious sexual concerns. The results are contextualized and implications are discussed.

Systems of care (SOCs) are comprehensive, community-based services for youth with emotional and behavioral disorders. For these youth, little is known about how trauma symptoms influence participation in SOC care coordination through the Child and Family Team (CFT) meeting. The current study assessed the extent to which exposure to potentially traumatic events (PTEs) and trauma symptoms were associated with participation in CFTs and youth and family outcomes. Participants were 464 youth ( Mage = 11.02, SD = 3.72) and their caregivers. Families completed measures of youth and caregiver functioning, PTEs, and trauma symptoms at enrollment and 6-months follow-up. Care coordinators completed surveys assessing CFT characteristics following each meeting and assessments of youth functioning. Moderated multiple regression analyses tested the conditional effects of youth trauma symptoms on the relationships between CFT characteristics and youth and caregiver outcomes. Trauma symptoms moderated the relationship between the number of days to the first CFT meeting and youth impairment and the relationship between CFT meeting duration and youth impairment. Results suggest the presence of trauma and other contextual factors contributed to difficulty in initiating services and to changes in youth impairment. Implications for the provision of trauma-informed SOC services are discussed.

While there has been great deal of research conducted on the effects of child sexual abuse (CSA) on trauma symptoms in children and adults, there is less knowledge on the effects on trauma symptoms in female older adult CSA survivors. The aim of this study was to investigate current symptoms of trauma in adult female survivors of child sexual abuse across each successive decade, beginning with eighteen year olds. This retrospective, anonymous online study gathered a sample of 223 adult female survivors of CSA (38 of whom were aged 50-59 (17%), and 20 of whom were 60+ years of age (9%)), and surveyed their trauma history and their current symptomology. In our sample, the survivors with the most severe trauma symptoms were between 18 and 29 years old. Each subsequent decade reported fewer trauma symptoms, with respondents in the 60+ age group reporting the lowest trauma symptom severity. While a cross-sectional study does not allow us to evaluate individuals' experiences over time, these results suggest that the negative impacts of CSA may abate over the life course. Future research should consider these questions longitudinally to explore whether these results are related to survivorship (those with worse outcomes dying younger) and whether these effects endure as female older adults experience physical and mental challenges in later life.

The current study used a person-oriented approach to investigate (a) potential distinctive groups of women survivors of IPV based on their posttraumatic growth (PTG), centrality of event, resilience, and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) patterns, and (b) examine the role of sociodemographic (age, education, work status) and violence related (physical and emotional violence, time since last violence episode, psychological help) factors in distinguishing these groups. The study sample consisted of 421 women survivors of IPV, and latent profile analysis revealed four profiles: “negative impact” (11% of the sample), “positive growth” (46%), “low impact” (18%), and “distressed growth” (25%). Women age, education, received psychological help, frequency of physical and emotional violence, and time since last violence incident significantly distinguished some of the indicated profiles from each other. Findings of this study contribute to the existing literature by identifying different responses to IPV and investigating some of the theoretical assumptions that had not been comprehensively analyzed in the IPV literature. Limitations of the study and implications for future research are discussed.

Police who investigate sexual assault offences are an at-risk population who may experience vicarious trauma symptoms and psychological distress similar to those of the survivors they work with. Work strain and psychological distress arising from vicarious trauma at work may manifest in increased sickness absences that may limit the organisational productivity of sexual assault investigators. To avoid high rates of sickness absences, police agencies must work to minimise the adverse impacts of sexual assault investigations on police. One solution is for agencies to conceptually promote the importance of well-being to investigators through training. This thesis examined the effect of a specialised police training course on participants’ well-being and sickness absence rates, framed by a conceptual model based on the demands-control-support model of organisational stress. The analysis found that experimental participants reported significantly improved well-being following the training, which potentially indicated a buffering effect of the course. However, contrary to expectations, sickness absence rates of both control and experimental groups increased after the training course. This result was not statistically significant. This study provided some interesting preliminary findings and contributed to the research literature around improving police well-being and reducing rates of sickness absence through training.

Although it is well known that victimization is associated with higher trauma symptoms, there is still limited information on the protective factors that can help people thrive after adversity. Using the Resilience Portfolio Model as a framework, this study explores a range of psychological and social strengths in a community sample of youth from the southern U.S.A sample of 440 youth aged 10 to 21 (average age 16.38, SD = 3.04) was recruited from youth-serving organizations. They completed a survey on trauma symptoms, victimization, other adversities, and 16 psychological and social strengths.Almost 9 in 10 (89.3%) youth reported one or more victimizations, with peer victimizations most common. Adult-perpetrated offenses were reported by almost half of youth (47.1%). Although several psychological and social strengths were inversely correlated with trauma symptoms at the bivariate level, hierarchical regressions indicated that a sense of purpose was the only strength that uniquely contributed to more resilient mental health in a model with all strengths and controlling for victimization, other adversities, poverty, age, and gender (total R

Police officers are frequently exposed to traumatic events and therefore are at elevated risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental health conditions. While evidence-based treatments for PTSD such as prolonged exposure therapy demonstrate effectiveness, residual symptoms and relapse remain problematic outcomes. Improvements in outcomes may be enhanced by modifying psychotherapy processes based upon recent neuroscientific findings. The present study explored incorporating memory reconsolidation principles into evidence-based exposure therapy for PTSD to create memory reconsolidation therapy (MRT). MRT incorporates memory recall followed by a wait period to make memories liable for modification. Using a case series design, three police officers diagnosed with PTSD participated in a maximum of twelve 90-min sessions of MRT and recorded weekly self-report measures of trauma symptoms and psychological distress. Results indicated participants experienced significantly reduced psychological distress with gains maintained over a 3-month follow-up. A significant reliable reduction in trauma symptoms by post-therapy was identified in two of the three cases with the third narrowly missing the clinically significant cut-off. These significant changes were maintained over the 3-month follow-up in one participant, while the maintenance of these improvements in trauma symptoms approached significance in the other two participants. These findings provide preliminary evidence to justify larger future studies to test the efficacy of MRT with police officers experiencing PTSD.

Background In this study, the first to examine psychometrics of a Haitian Kreyol version of the Trauma Symptom Checklist-40 (TSC-40), we investigated trauma symptoms in survivors of Haiti's 2010 earthquake who reside in Haiti's Cite Soleil slum, a violent neighborhood where non-partner sexual violence (NPSV) is rampant and whose residents are historically underrepresented in research. Methods 233 women and 280 men 18 years or older completed the TSC-40. Differential Item Function (DIF) analysis was performed on the TSC-40 responses for women and men. We examined symptom counts by gender, between NPSV victims and non-victims, and by interaction between gender and NPSV experience. Results We identified a reduced pool of 17-items that exhibited no gender bias. This 17-item index showed acceptable internal consistency reliability (α = 0.87). Employing this index, average symptom counts for women ( x ¯ = 11.3) did not differ from men ( x ¯ = 11.1). Average symptom counts for NPSV victims was greater ( x ¯ = 12.5) than for non-victims ( x ¯ = 10.7). The gender by experience of NPSV interaction indicated that women victims had the highest symptom counts ( x ¯ = 14.0). Limitations We used non-probability sampling, and data were from self-reports collected in a cross-sectional survey. Conclusions Observed differences in trauma burden are likely to be misleading if instruments are administered without regard to DIF. We contribute a Haitian Kreyol Trauma Symptom 17-item index, which offers clinicians/practitioners in Haiti the opportunity to use a valid and reliable measure of enduring trauma symptoms validated in Haiti.

Research by Robertson, Davies and Nettleingham (2009) suggested a minority of jurors in English and Welsh courts experience significant short‐ and longer‐term distress from undertaking jury service. This study extended the research to jurors in Scottish trials, with their distinct conventions and procedures. Jurors completed web‐based questionnaires measuring juror distress, trauma symptoms, and personal resilience. Results replicated those from England and Wales, showing that some Scottish jurors also experience deterioration in physical and psychological well‐being, with female jurors, those sitting in longer trials, and dealing with crimes against the person, being most affected. Trait resilience did not mitigate such effects.

Trauma is prevalent among children and adolescents, with youth of color generally reporting greater exposure compared to White youth. One factor that may account for this difference is racial stress, which can manifest into trauma symptoms. Although racial stress and trauma (RST) significantly impacts youth of color, most of the research to date has focused on adult populations. In addition, little attention has been given to the impact of the ecological context in how youth encounter and cope with RST. As such, we propose the Developmental and Ecological Model of Youth Racial Trauma (DEMYth-RT), a conceptual model of how racial stressors manifest to influence the trauma symptomatology of children and adolescents of color. Within developmental periods, we explore how individual, family, and community processes influence youth’s symptoms and coping. We also discuss challenges to identifying racial trauma in young populations according to clinician limitations and the post-traumatic stress disorder framework within the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders—fifth edition (DSM-5). The article concludes with implications on applying DEMYth-RT in clinical and research settings to address RST for youth of color.

The purpose of this study was to create a reliable, quick and easy to administer screening measure of violence exposure and trauma for children from infancy through age 7. In a sample of 6,676 children, caregivers completing a 22-item screener reported nearly one out of five youth had been exposed as witness or victim to at least one kind of violence. For trauma, caregivers reported that their children had trouble going to sleep at least sometimes (15.83%), had cried or had a tantrum to exhaustion (15.61%) and had difficulty concentrating or focusing (15.55%). Analyses showed reliable internal consistency for violence exposure (.74) and trauma (.85) scales. Factor analyses revealed a single trauma factor and two violence exposure factors, witnessing and victimization. These data provide support for a brief screening measure for trauma and violence exposure in children from birth through age seven that can be administered by minimally trained staff in public systems and community-based agencies who can then refer children and families to necessary assessment and treatment services.

This investigation evaluated trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (T-F CBT) with detained male adolescents with serious offending behaviors. One hundred and seventeen youth with trauma symptoms participated in an average of twelve T-F CBT individual sessions. Trauma symptoms were assessed prior to and following treatment using the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children (TSCC) and a paired sample t-test was used to analyze changes from pre- to posttest. Trauma symptoms in five of the six scales (i.e., anger, depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress, dissociation) were significantly reduced following treatment. T-F CBT may be effective in reducing general trauma symptoms among detained adolescents; assessing and treating trauma symptoms are recommended as standard protocol in the juvenile justice system; and T-F CBT may be effective without caregiver participation.

Training in trauma-informed early intervention programs is greatly needed for Part C early intervention providers (EIs). This study evaluated the feasibility, acceptability, and initial outcomes of Trauma-Informed Behavioral Parenting (TIBP; subsequently renamed Smart Start), an early intervention program designed to meet the social–emotional needs of toddlers enrolled in Part C services. This pilot study consisted of training and supervising 5 EIs to implement TIBP with 8 parent–child dyads as part of their Part C services. Preliminary changes in child behavior problems, trauma exposures, parenting stress, and parenting skills were evaluated quantitively. EIs completed treatment integrity measures. Focus groups provided data regarding the feasibility of implementation and caregiver attitudes about TIBP. Significant reductions in child trauma symptoms on both the YCPC-PTSD (S = 11.5, p = 0.0586, rMPRB = 0.64) and YCPC-FI (S = 11.5, p = 0.0586, rMPRB = 0.53) were indicated. No significant changes in externalizing behaviors were observed. Caregivers demonstrated improved use of positive verbal reinforcement and verbal reflections, and reported improvements on parent–child dysfunctional interactions on the PSI-SF (S = 16, p = 0.0117, rMPRB = 0.89). All focus group participants reported benefits from participating in TIBP. EIs demonstrated high adherence to treatment protocol and identified TIBP as a feasible program to implement within Part C services. This study showed promising results as a means to disseminate evidence-based practices into a community-level program to address the social–emotional needs of toddlers. The need for additional, large sample research was highlighted.

A first-line screening instrument, the Preschool Inventory of Trauma Symptoms (PITS), was developed to assess trauma symptoms with a diverse sample of 150 toddlers and preschoolers ( M = 2.49 years; SD = 1.12). Items reflected the current trauma literature, assessment measures, and diagnostic criteria for very young children. A principal component analysis produced a 34-item, four-factor model: Arousal and Hyper-Reactivity, Fearful Attachment, Intrusion and Re-Experiencing, and Avoidance and Negative Cognition and Mood. One validity scale, Response Style, was also developed. All scales significantly correlated ( r = .45 to .81; p < .01) with preestablished trauma measures and demonstrated adequate internal consistency (α = .68 − .87). A receiver operating characteristics curve analysis identified a cut-score with good discrimination ability (.88), sensitivity (.81), and specificity (.81). In a preliminary pilot study, PITS also was found to be sensitive to trauma symptom change following participation in an evidence-based trauma informed treatment program. A copy of the PITS is included in the Appendix for free use by qualified professionals.

The aim of the present study was to examine the hypothesis that attachment and childhood sexual abuse (CSA) interacted such that school aged CSA survivors with insecure attachment to parents would be at an elevated risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and trauma symptoms. Participants (n = 111, ages 7–12) comprised two groups, child CSA survivors (n = 43) and a matched comparison group of children (n = 68) recruited from the community. Children completed the Child Attachment Interview (CAI) as well as the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children (TSCC). There was a significant interaction between sexual abuse history and attachment security, such that sexually abused children with insecure attachment representations had significantly more PTSD and trauma symptoms than sexually abused children with secure attachment to parents. The findings show that using a dual lens of attachment and CSA can facilitate the identification of children most at risk and has important implications for understanding risk and resilience processes.

In this chapter we bring together three previously unconnected areas of research relating to young men and boys: trauma and prison, trauma and masculinity, and prison masculinities. Within the existing literature there emerges a significant focus on incarcerated young women and trauma, while there is a relative dearth of literature focusing on young men and boys and their trauma experiences prior to, and as a consequence of, incarceration. Furthermore, we consider the ways in which masculinity and trauma interact to reduce the likelihood that young men and boys are able to seek help or benefit from treatment. Consequently, this chapter advocates that there is a pressing need to better understand how prison masculinities interface with trauma-informed care. It is evident that more research is needed with young men and boys about their trauma experiences, the manifestation of their trauma symptoms and how to better support their recovery. Ultimately, through considering these areas and exploring areas of connection and disconnection, we argue for both trauma-informed and gender-sensitive correctional care for incarcerated young men and boys, whose vulnerabilities have tended to be overlooked.

This exploratory study assessed the association between agency and life satisfaction, as well as the potential for life satisfaction, in its turn, to alleviate trauma symptoms and reduce negative emotion in a group of children exposed to war and military violence in Palestine. Two hundred and fifty Palestinian children, who had been recruited at primary schools in urban and rural areas, and refugee camps, completed the Multilevel Student’s Life Satisfaction Scale, Children’s Hope Scale (CHS), Children’s Impact of Event Scale (CRIES) and Positive and Negative Affect Scales. We performed structural equation modelling to evaluate the effects of agency on negative emotions and trauma symptoms via life satisfaction. The participants appeared to play an agentic role in mobilizing their own life satisfaction, and the more satisfied they were with their lives, the less they suffered from trauma symptoms. In terms of clinical practice, we advocate more active and participatory approaches to fostering children’s agency, a complex construct in need of further investigation via mixed-method quanti-qualitative and ethnographic studies.

Background Child maltreatment negatively affects the formation of internal schemata of self and other during development, leading to negative adaptations in self-concept and social cognition. Clinical reports suggest the efficacy of psychedelics in treating the psychopathological sequelae of child maltreatment. Altering maladaptive schemata of self and other implicated in negative self-concept and impaired social cognition may be a central mechanism for reducing posttraumatic stress symptoms. Aims This study aims to assess whether psychedelic use moderates the relationships between child maltreatment and self-concept, social cognition, and posttraumatic stress symptoms. Method An online survey was completed by 166 participants and included measures of maltreatment exposure and severity, history of intentional therapeutic psychedelic use, posttraumatic stress symptoms, internalized shame, and facial emotion recognition. Results Child maltreatment significantly correlated with posttraumatic stress symptoms ( r = .26 and r = .20, p Conclusion These findings demonstrate that using psychedelic drugs with therapeutic intent is associated with lower levels of complex trauma symptoms and internalized shame in individuals with histories of child maltreatment. Psychedelic use may have therapeutic benefit in treating the posttraumatic sequelae of child maltreatment.

Background Previous research showed acute psychedelic effects were associated with decreases in racial trauma (RT) symptoms among black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC). Among samples comprised primarily of white participants, positive outcomes of psychedelic experiences have been mediated by increases in psychological flexibility. Therefore, we examined whether changes in psychological flexibility from before to after a psychedelic experience mediated the relationship between acute psychedelic effects and changes in RT symptoms among BIPOC. Methods This cross-sectional online survey study included 313 BIPOC (mean age = 33.1; SD = 11.2; female = 57%). A multiple linear regression analysis was used to examine the association between acute psychedelic effects and decreases in RT symptoms in a nonclinical setting; a path analysis was used to explore whether changes in psychological flexibility mediated this relationship. Results Acute insight and challenging effects were significantly ( p Conclusion This research suggests psychedelics confer potential benefits in decreasing RT symptoms among BIPOC and psychological flexibility may be an important mediator of these effects. Future research should test this hypothesis in a longitudinal clinical trial among BIPOC.

The present study investigated psychometric properties of a French translation of the McLean Screening Instrument for Borderline Personality Disorder (MSI-BPD; Zanarini et al., 2003) in a large sample of university students (N = 1,350). A confirmatory factor analysis supported the single-factor structure of the MSI-BPD, and its configural, metric and scalar invariance across gender was established. Internal consistency was high (tetrachoric α = .88; Ω = .88). MSI-BPD scores were significantly correlated to depressive symptoms (r = .57), trauma symptoms (r = .40), negative consequences of substance use (r = .25), and frequency of drug use (r = .11). Finally, 9.5% of the sample reached the clinical cutoff, which is similar to the pooled prevalence for BPD reported in a recent meta-analysis of university students. The present study showed that the French translation of the MSI-BPD is a psychometrically sound screening tool for BPD in both men and women.

Despite robust research linking trauma events to the commission of sexual harm by youth, the majority of victims do not become victimizers, imploring us to study potential interceding influences. Some research indicates that intermediary factors like attachment characteristics, trauma symptomatology, and executive functioning may be critical in understanding sexual harm committed by youth. This study explored relationships between trauma events, trauma symptoms, and attachment characteristics, and their relationship to executive functioning in a sample of 196 youth who committed sexual harm. Results revealed bivariate associations between trauma events, symptomatology, and maternal attachment characteristics. Structural equation modeling revealed numerous direct and indirect effects on the path to deficits in executive functioning, and that sexual abuse, above and beyond other forms of traumatic events, contributed to executive functioning deficits via trauma symptoms. The results are contextualized and implications are discussed.

Being a victim of abuse in childhood can lead to the development of trauma-related psychopathology, which could affect the testimony of the child victim. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a factor that can increase both the levels of suggestibility and the production of memory errors, such as confabulations, which can be identified in distortions and fabrications. No studies have analyzed the relationship between suggestibility, fabrications, distortions, and PTSD on samples of children and adolescents suspected of being sexually abused. This study aims to verify in a sample of 221 sexually abused children and adolescents the effect of PTSD, measured by Trauma Symptoms Checklist for Children, in increasing the levels of immediate and delayed suggestibility and the production of fabrications and distortions in immediate and delayed memory tasks, obtained by Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale 2, controlling age and non-verbal intelligence. Our results show that PTSD increases the levels of immediate and delayed suggestibility, but it has no effect on memory recall in immediate recall tasks. Moreover, PTSD leads to a greater number of distorted and fabricated information inserted in delayed memory. Forensic implications of PTSD consequences on memory tasks and suggestibility levels of sexually abused children are discussed.

Background and PurposeThere are very limited brief, validated, open access screening tools for trauma symptoms in adolescent populations. This study aimed to test two brief tools used with adults in primary care settings for use with adolescents.MethodsYouth (n = 77) completed the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Checklist (PCLC-2), the Primary Care PTSD Screen for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV; PC-PTSD), and the PTSD Reaction Index for DSM-5 (reference tool). Sensitivities and specificities were analyzed.ResultsThe PCLC-2 and PC-PTSD demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity with adolescents when using lower cutoff scores than those recommended for adults.ConclusionsThe PC-PTSD and PCLC-2 have the potential to be used as brief screens with adolescents. Additional research is needed to further examine their validity with larger, diverse youth samples in primary care and school-based settings.

Children’s exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) and child abuse (CA) is strongly related to later psychological problems. Few studies exist on patients in child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) who have been singly or doubly exposed to IPV and/or CA. The overall aim of the current study was to compare self-reported psychiatric symptoms, post-trauma impact, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnoses among CAMHS patients who had been singly or doubly exposed or had reported no family violence (NoFV). We expected to find more severe symptoms in both singly and doubly exposed patients than in the NoFV group and that double exposure was associated with more severe symptoms than single exposure (to IPV or CA). Finally, we expected to find that higher frequencies of exposure to IPV or CA were related to more psychiatric symptoms, greater post-trauma impact, and a higher likelihood of PTSD diagnosis. We compared psychiatric symptoms, post-trauma impact, and PTSD diagnosis in 578 patients aged 9–17 years with NoFV (n = 287), single exposure (n = 162), and double exposure (n = 129). The influence of gender, age, age of onset, frequency, and traumatic interpersonal events outside the family (IPE) were regressed on psychiatric symptoms, post-trauma impact, and PTSD diagnoses. Patients with double exposure had more severe symptoms than the NoFV group, and patients with single exposure had more trauma-related symptoms than the NoFV group. Double exposure was associated with more severe symptoms than single exposure, and frequency (of exposure to IPV and/or CA) and IPE influenced trauma symptoms and psychiatric symptoms, respectively. Exposure to more than one type of violence is associated with more severe symptoms, but other factors such as frequency of violent acts and IPE are important factors to focus on in future studies and clinical assessment.

Objective: As part of a larger community-based, service driven research project, the purpose of this study was to 1) document the clinical needs of sheltered children (i.e., externalizing behavior problems [EBP], trauma symptoms, and developmental status) and 2) examine the effectiveness of time-limited adaptations of Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) and Child Parent Psychotherapy (CPP). Method: One hundred and forty-four young children (Mage = 3.48, SD = 1.09; 56.9% male; 78.5% Black/African American) and their mothers were recruited from a women's homeless shelter and randomly assigned to a 12-week course of either PCIT or CPP delivered by shelter clinicians on site. Families completed pre and post intervention assessments including mother-reported measures of child EBP and trauma symptoms, and parenting stress. Observational data on maternal verbalizations during a child-led play session were also collected. Results: High rates of clinically elevated EBP (36%), trauma symptoms (47%), and developmental delays (35%) were found. Time-limited PCIT resulted in greater reductions in maternal negative verbalizations and parenting stress, and greater increases in maternal positive verbalizations relative to time-limited CPP. As it relates to child outcomes, both time-limited PCIT and CPP resulted in similar decreases in children's post-traumatic stress symptoms; however, only time-limited PCIT resulted in significant improvements in EBP. Conclusions: Young sheltered children evidenced high levels of EBP, trauma symptoms and developmental delays. Both time-limited PCIT and CPP offered effective trauma interventions. However, PCIT offered a more comprehensive intervention by more effectively targeting EBP and parenting. Implications of these findings for clinical practice are discussed.

Background Interpersonal trauma (IPT) is one of the most commonly reported types of traumatic experiences and has the greatest likelihood of resulting in a diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Relative to other types of trauma, victims of IPT report greater trauma-specific rumination, whereby they focus on negative consequences of the trauma on their life. Theoretical and empirical work suggest trauma-specific rumination leads to elevated posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS); however, there has been a dearth of research examining how trauma type may impact this association. Therefore, the current longitudinal study examined how the experience of IPT moderates the relationship between trauma-specific rumination and later PTSS. Method Participants (N = 204) enrolled in a clinical trial completed self-report measures of trauma experience, trauma-specific rumination, and PTSS at baseline and 1-month follow-up appointments. Results Results revealed that IPT moderated the relationship between baseline rumination and 1-month trauma symptoms, even after covarying for participant age and sex, treatment condition, negative affect, and number of previously experienced traumas. Further, this moderation effect was specific to the PTSD numbing cluster. Limitations Major limitations include measurement of PTSS via PCL-C rather than the PCL-5, as well as a limited sample size, precluding moderation analyses of other trauma types. Conclusions The current study provides novel findings demonstrating specificity of index trauma type in the longitudinal relationship between rumination and PTSS. Future work is needed to examine how IPT impacts the development of pathways between rumination and PTSS.

Background: Pain experiences can negatively impact children and adolescents, leading to trauma symptoms and nonadherence to important health behaviors. Developmentally-tailored communication strategies may mitigate this risk. Methods: This article reviews cognitive and linguistic developmental factors, within the familial and cultural context, that are important to consider when communicating with youth about acute, procedural, and/or chronic pain. Results: Youth undergoing acute or procedural pain benefit from pain education, truthful information about the procedure, and advance preparation. The use of analogies may be particularly helpful for patient understanding of chronic pain development, maintenance, and treatment. Youth with developmental disabilities may express pain differently than their normative peers, requiring adaptation of communication strategies. Conclusion: Developmentally-tailored pain communication is an important tool for caregivers and healthcare providers that may foster adaptive functioning in youth who experience pain.

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between chronotype preference/sleep problems and symptom severity of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) during the COVID-19 outbreak and to assess the chronotype preference/sleep problems that may play a mediating role in the relationship between the reactions to trauma and severity of ADHD symptoms. The sample of this single-center cross-sectional study consisted of 76 children with ADHD and their parents. Trauma symptoms were evaluated with the Children's Impact of Event Scale (CRIES-8); sleep habits were assessed using the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ); and chronotype was assessed using the Children's Chronotype Questionnaire (CCQ). There were significant differences in CRIES-8 and CSHQ scores between the eveningness type group and the non-eveningness type group. The CRIES-8 scores of children with ADHD were related to the CCQ and CSHQ scores and severity of ADHD symptoms. In mediation analyses, sleep problems were found to be the full mediating factor in the relationship between CRIES-8 scores and severity of ADHD symptoms and the relationship between CCQ scores and the severity of ADHD symptoms. Our findings indicate that chronotype plays an important role on the negative effects of home confinement of ADHD children during the COVID-19 outbreak. The role of the full mediator of sleep problems in the path from cognition to the behavior of young ADHD and non-ADHD children confined to the home environment during the pandemic period requires further assessment.

Aims The primary purpose of this study is to understand how community violence exposure is associated with both common and unique variance characterizing posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms among young adults living in a low-resourced setting. Methods Data were collected using a cross-sectional survey design. Participants were recruited from public housing developments in a city in the eastern United States. Participants completed a survey that included questions related to community violence, PTS symptoms, and optimism. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results We found a relationship between a generalized PTS response and each of the PTS symptom categories. Experiencing community violence was significantly related to generalized PTS response over and above other traumatic events. Conclusion Young adults who experience community violence have a general distress response to those experiences, and yet, beyond that general response, there are ways in which each symptom is distinct from a generalized distress reaction.

OBJECTIVE Youth who receive services in residential programs have high rates of traumatic exposure and associated symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Little information is available on specific social skills training that could be beneficial for youth in residential programs with PTSD. This study examined changes in behavioral incidents and psychopathology in youth receiving group home services based on training they received across three categories of social skills (i.e., self-advocacy, emotional regulation, problem-solving). METHOD The sample included archival data on youth (N = 677) ages 10-18 years (M = 15.7 years, SD = 1.53). Hierarchical Linear Modeling was used to examine the frequency of disruptive and self-injurious behaviors over 12 months as it relates to reported traumatic symptoms at admission and the presence of the three types of social skills objectives. Analysis of Covariance was conducted to test whether the social skill objectives differentially predicted changes in youth psychopathology from intake to discharge for youth with low and high trauma symptoms. RESULTS Youth with high trauma symptoms who received training on problem-solving skills had significantly greater decrease in emotional problems from intake to discharge compared to youth with high trauma symptoms who did not receive problem-solving training (d = -.54). CONCLUSION Problem-solving training could be further developed and tested to maximize the support youth with trauma symptoms receive in trauma-informed residential programs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Background The trauma experienced as a paramedic can have a devastating psychological impact on both professionals and students in training, and increases the risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Paramedics are often placed in high-risk situations involving multiple or sustained trauma and also experience high levels of occupational stress, which can produce adverse psychological and physiological responses. Despite these risks, understanding trauma and its various manifestations in paramedicine has not been well documented. Methods This narrative review describes the history and changes in diagnostic criteria, and contrasts the methods of measuring PTSD symptomology with the current criteria. Results PTSD was first defined in the American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, third edition (DSM-III) in 1980, however the diagnostic criteria and associated measurement tools failed to reflect the repeated and vicarious traumatic events experienced by paramedics. Currently, the majority of the measurement tools used to assess post-traumatic stress are still aligned with superseded diagnostic criteria and many only classify the symptoms of PTSD as present or absent with little consideration given to symptom severity. Consequently, these existing measurements of PTSD are out dated and inefficient in their ability to identify and measure PTSD using the revised criteria. Conclusion The development of a more specific measurement tool, which reflects the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria of trauma-related stressors within this population, will allow for a more comprehensive measurement of symptoms. Future research undertaken in this specific field will also help to inform education and training programs to assist with the negative impacts of trauma and aid in management and treatment of PTSD in paramedics.

Much correlational research has reported on the relationship that exists between clinically verified trauma symptoms in returning soldiers and self-reports of distress in their civilian partners. Subclinical trauma, despite being much more prevalent in returning military personnel, however has rarely been examined in relation to civilian partners’ psychological functioning; the role of mediating variables has also been scarcely considered. This study aimed to fill this gap. A sample of (N=26) soldiers that had returned from a tour of duty in the last three years completed questionnaires assessing: (a) military variables (e.g., total tours of duty, exposure to active combat) and (b) subclinical trauma symptoms. Soldiers’ civilian partners completed questionnaires assessing: (c) problem focused (PF) and disengaged (DS) coping behaviours, and (d) psychological distress. Civilian partners of returning soldiers experiencing greater subclinical trauma used fewer PF coping behaviours, thus resulting in elevated distress scores. These findings provide a clearly definable target for clinical intervention; by increasing the use of PF coping behaviours, civilian partners of trauma affected military husbands might be relatively protected against psychological distress.

To date, few studies have examined stress responses during or shortly after potentially traumatic events in real-time. In this study, a prospective Virtual Reality analogue trauma paradigm was used to assess peri- and post-traumatic stress responses in healthy individuals (N = 80). Here we compared a range of peri-traumatic psychophysiological responses following analogue trauma to a control condition. Furthermore, we aimed to identify essential regulatory mechanisms in response to an analogue trauma and their effects on subsequent analogue trauma symptoms. Therefore, we examined the impact of subjective and physiological emotional responses, cognitive processing, cognitive regulation and appraisal as well as flexible emotion regulation on analogue trauma symptoms. Results of the hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that cognitive processing as well as cognitive regulation and appraisal predicted analogue trauma symptoms beyond psychophysiological responses, while flexible emotion regulation was uniquely predictive only directly afterwards. The findings provide evidence that flexible emotion regulation might be in particular protective directly after trauma exposure and highlight the general importance of peri- and post-traumatic cognitive factors in the development and maintenance of stress-associated psychopathology, thereby supporting cognitive models of PTSD.

Poor maternal mental health, including depression and high stress levels, can negatively impact many domains of child development, particularly among low-income, ethnic minority families experiencing multiple stressors. Low-income minority mothers, particularly Hispanic mothers, are also at increased risk of experiencing exposure to community violence and other types of trauma. However, studies exploring the additional impact of maternal trauma symptoms on children’s functioning are rare. This study aims to address this gap by examining the impact of maternal trauma symptoms on young children’s functioning in a low-income, predominantly Hispanic sample through the mechanisms of maternal depressive symptoms, and mother’s experiences of parenting stress and strain. The sample consisted of 158 biological mothers (58% Hispanic, 13% African American, 5.7% White American) who were participating in community-based mental health treatment for their children (MAGE = 3.7, SD = 1.2). Mothers completed questionnaires providing information on their children’s behaviors and their own mental health and stress levels at intake. Path analysis indicated that there was a significant indirect effect of maternal trauma symptoms on children’s behavior problems through maternal depressive symptoms and maternal stress in the parent-child relationship (β = 0.09, p