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Survivors of imprisonment in the Pacific Theater during World War II
Abstract
Data were obtained from 41 survivors of imprisonment by the Japanese during World War II. Interview data suggested that these individuals, despite the 40 years that had passed since their prisoner of war experiences, showed manifestations of posttraumatic stress disorder, notably a sleep disturbance marked by recurrent nightmares. MMPI data suggested significant pathology, characterized as an anxiety state, in this group. Half of the subjects met the full set of DSM-III criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder.
... In three student samples at Berkeley, California, and Leiden, the Netherlands (Main et al., 1993), the BLAAQ-U was found to be internally consistent (alphas ranging from .79 to .89), to be test-retest reliable (correlations ranging from .74 to .92), and to converge with the outcome of the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI; George, Kaplan, & Main, 1996), an empirically well-established interview for assessing adult state of mind with regard to attachment (Van IJzendoorn, 1995). Because the BLAAQ-U has been validated not only in the United States but also in the Netherlands and because Israel also represents a Western democratic society with a somewhat similar value system, we had good reason to rely on similar underlying assumptions associated with this measure. ...
... used a more robust measure for assessing adult attachment representations and disorganized reasoning about loss or other trauma (i.e., the AAI; George et al., 1996). ...
... AAI. This semistructured interview seeks both descriptions and evaluations of important attachment-related experiences and their effects on the participant's development (George et al., 1996). In essence, the questions present the This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers. ...
In 2 related studies of nonclinical Israeli samples, the long-term sequelae of traumatic Holocaust experiences were investigated from an attachment perspective. In each study, Holocaust survivors were compared with participants who had not experienced the Holocaust, and their attachment style and state of mind with regard to past and present attachment experiences as well as their state of mind regarding unresolved loss were assessed. In both studies, the Holocaust groups were found to be significantly more inclined to show disoriented thought processes around trauma than were the groups without Holocaust background. From an attachment perspective, the authors showed that even after 50 years, traumatic traces of Holocaust experiences are present in the survivors.
... Commonly reported parasomnias in traumatized populations include nightmares (Goldstein, van Kammen, Shelly, Miller, & van Kammen, 1987;Krakow et al., 2000;Krakow, Melendrez, et al., 2001;Kuch & Cox, 1992;Neylan et al., 1998;North et al., 1999;Ohayon & Shapiro, 2000;Ross, Ball, Sullivan, & Caroff, 1989), excessive body movements (Beck, Steer, & Brown, 1996;Inman et al., 1990;Lavie & Hertz, 1979;Mellman, David, Kulick-Bell, Hebding, & Nolan, 1995;Ross et al., 1989), and sleep disordered breathing (Krakow, Melendrez, et al., 2001;Krakow et al., 2002). ...
... During the past decade there has been increased interest in sleep disturbances in survivors with PTSD because greater sleep impairment has been associated with more severe PTSD, depression, suicidality, and health-related complaints (Goldstein et al., 1987;Kuch & Cox, 1992). Moreover, treatment outcomes for people with PTSD may be complicated by sleep disturbances. ...
Objective
The objective of the present study was to examine the associations between sleep disturbance, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and functional disability in a population exposed to a singular traumatic event.Method
The participants were a population of 2,453 predominantly male utility workers who were deployed to the World Trade Center site in the aftermath of the 9/11 attack. They underwent psychiatric screenings comprising measures of sleep disturbance, PTSD, and functional disability.ResultsAnalyses indicated that (a) rates of sleep disturbances were significantly higher among participants diagnosed with PTSD than those without, (b) PTSD severity was significantly associated with sleep disturbance, and (c) sleep disturbance moderated the relationship between PTSD and disability.Conclusion
Sleep disturbance is associated with occupational, social functioning, and PTSD severity, suggesting that ameliorating sleep may lead to increased occupational and social functioning, as well as better treatment responses in PTSD.
... The authors highlighted that sleep disturbances were the most common and frequently experienced symptom: 63% of the sample experienced it 3 weeks after the event, and 46% still 8 weeks later. Similarly, Goldstein et al. (12) and Kuch et al. (13) have highlighted the pervasiveness of these symptoms in trauma victims. Sleep disturbances were found in 97% of war soldiers and 95% of Holocaust survivors. ...
Besides affecting 8% of the general population, nightmares are one of the most frequent symptoms of traumatized individuals. This can be a significant factor in the treatment of post-traumatic disorders; indeed, several studies demonstrated its strong predictive and prognostic value. Sleep disorders, nightmares in particular, could be very distressing for individuals and need targeted interventions, especially if they are associated with a PTSD diagnosis. To date, the best technique for the treatment of traumatic sleep disturbances seems to be Imagery Rehearsal Therapy (IRT), an empirically supported method. Through a review of the literature on this matter, this article aims to outline the incidence and consequences of nightmares in PTSD, illustrate how IRT could prove useful in their treatment, and investigate its clinical applications.
... Such conclusions run contrary to other claims, stemming mostly from clinical observations, that the Holocaust had a profound effect on its victims, leaving many survivors with various psychological or marital problems (2)(3)(4). This is consistent with existing non-Holocaust-related trauma research, which provides evidence that people who undergo extreme stress are left more vulnerable to future adversity (5)(6)(7). Similarly, posttraumatic long-term effects were reported in a more recent nonclinical Holocaust-related study (8) showing that elderly survivors of the Holocaust suffered from the Persian Gulf War to a larger extent than other subjects. Also, clinically based reports on children of Holocaust survivors versus more controlled research paradigms are inconsistent in their findings. ...
H. Keilson (1979) coined the term “sequential traumatization” for the accumulation of traumatic stresses confronting the Holocaust survivors before, during, and after the war. A central question is whether survivors were able to raise their children without transmitting the traumas of their past. Through a series of meta‐analyses on 32 samples involving 4,418 participatns, we tested the hypothesis of secondary traumatization in Holocaust survivor families. In the set of adequately designed nonclinical studies, no evidence for the influence of the parents' traumatic Holocaust experiences on their children was found. Secondary traumatization emerged only in studies on clinical participants, who were stressed for other reasons. A stress‐diathesis model is used to interpret the absence of secondary traumatization in nonclinical offspring of Holocaust survivors.
... A study on World War II survivors who were imprisoned by the Japanese showed that these individuals suffered from a manifestation of PTSD even after 40 years of the war experiences [10]. Another study on Vietnamese refugees showed that, being disadvantaged by post-migration hardships and lack of social resources, this group continued to be more depressed than others even after 2 years of the initial investigation [59]. Though the number of old refugees is small in our sample, we may attribute their high prevalence of PTSD to the ongoing daily stressors and hardships in makeshift camps, as it has been already pointed out in previous literature. ...
Global refugee crisis around the world has displaced millions of people from their homes. Although some of them adjust well, many suffer from significant psychological distress, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), owing to exposure to traumatic events and hardships. Here, diagnosis and access to psychological health care present particular challenges for various human-centered design issues. Therefore, analyzing the case of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, we propose a two-way diagnosis of PTSD using (i) short inexpensive questionnaire to determine its prevalence, and (ii) low-cost portable EEG headset to identify potential neurobiological markers of PTSD. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to use consumer-grade EEG devices in the scarce-resource settings of refugees. Moreover, we explored the underlying structure of PTSD and its symptoms via developing various hybrid models based on Bayesian inference by combining aspects from both reflective and formative models of PTSD, which is also the first of its kind. Our findings revealed several key components of PTSD and its neurobiological abnormality. Moreover, challenges faced during our study would inform design processes of screening tools and treatments of PTSD to incorporate refugee experience in a more meaningful way during contemporary and future humanitarian crisis.
... One of the most prevalent disorders reported by persons with PTSD, and specifically veterans with chronic warinduced PTSD, is sleep difficulties (9,10). According to studies, 44% of veterans with PTSD report difficulty falling asleep, and 91% had difficulty maintaining sleep (11). Sleep disturbance may help differentiate chronic PTSD from healthy subjects (12). ...
... Events associated with torture or prolonged victim-ization are associated with the highest estimates for chronic PTSD. The prevalence of chronic PTSD among torture survivors such as prisoners of war and concentration camp survivors is about 50% (Kluznick et al 1986;Goldstein et al 1987;Yehuda et al 1995a). In contrast, the prevalence rate of chronic PTSD in survivors of natural disasters is about 4% (Shore et al 1989); however, even among those who are exposed to very severe and prolonged trauma, there is usually a substantial number of individuals who do not develop PTSD. ...
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric condition that is directly precipitated by an event that threatens a person's life or physical integrity and that invokes a response of fear, helplessness, or horror. In recent years it has become clear that only a proportion of those exposed to fear-producing events develop or sustain PTSD. Thus, it seems that an important challenge is to elucidate aberrations in the normal fear response that might precipitate trauma-related psychiatric disorder. This paper summarizes the findings from recent studies that examined the acute and longer term biological response to traumatic stress in people appearing to the emergency room immediately following trauma exposure. In the aggregate, these studies have demonstrated increased heart rate and lower cortisol levels at the time of the traumatic event in those who have PTSD at a follow-up time compared to those who do not. In contrast, certain features associated with PTSD, such as intrusive symptoms and exaggerated startle responses, are only manifest weeks after the trauma. The findings suggest that the development of PTSD may be facilitated by an atypical biological response in the immediate aftermath of a traumatic event, which in turn leads to a maladaptive psychological state.
... Many individuals are exposed to more than one traumatic event in their lives (6). However only about 14% -18% of all women and 10% of all men in the United States -develop PTSD in response to 3 PTSD among prisoners of war and concentration camp survivors is about 50% (7,8). In contrast, the prevalence rate of chronic PTSD in survivors of natural disasters is about 4% (9). ...
... Additionally, of the approximately 10% of those exposed to trauma who develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD; Kilpatrick et al., 2013), 70-87% have trouble initiating or maintaining sleep or experience nightmares, making sleep difficulties the most highly reported PTSD symptom (Maher, Rego, & Asnis, 2006). Sleep difficulties commonly occur immediately after trauma exposure (Wood, Bootzin, Rosenhan, Nolen-Hoeksema, & Jourden, 1992) and may persist long after the trauma (> 45 years later, Goldstein, van Kammen, Shelly, Miller, & van Kammen, 1987;Rosen, Reynolds, Yeager, Houck, & Hurwitz, 1991). Further, sleep difficulties in trauma-exposed populations can arise indirectly from other issues resulting from trauma, such as depression or anxiety (e.g., Sheikh, Woodward, & Leskin, 2003), substance abuse (e.g., Stewart, Pihl, Conrod, & Dongier, 1998), and cardiometabolic dysfunction (e.g., Heppner et al., 2009;Vgontzas, Bixler, & Chrousos, 2005). ...
While the associations between psychological distress (e.g., posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD], depression) and sleep dysfunction have been demonstrated in trauma-exposed populations, studies have not fully explored the associations between sleep dysfunction and the wide range of common physical and physiological changes that can occur after trauma exposure (e.g., pain, cardiometabolic risk factors). We aimed to clarify the unique associations of psychological and physical trauma sequelae with different aspects of self-reported sleep dysfunction. A comprehensive psychological and physical examination was administered to 283 combat-deployed trauma-exposed Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation New Dawn (OEF/OIF/OND) veterans. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and PSQI Addendum for PSTD (PSQI-A) were administered along with measures of PTSD, depression, anxiety, pain, traumatic brain injury, alcohol use, nicotine dependence, and cardiometabolic symptoms. We first performed a confirmatory factor analysis of the PSQI and then conducted regressions with the separate PSQI factors as well as the PSQI-A to identify unique associations between trauma-related measures and the separate aspects of sleep. We found that the PSQI global score was composed of three factors: Sleep Efficiency (sleep efficiency/sleep duration), Perceived Sleep Quality (sleep quality/sleep latency/sleep medication) and Daily Disturbances (sleep disturbances/daytime dysfunction). Linear regressions demonstrated that PTSD symptoms were uniquely associated with the PSQI global score and all three factors, as well as the PSQI-A. For the other psychological distress variables, anxiety was independently associated with PSQI global as well as Sleep Efficiency, Perceived Sleep Quality, and PSQI-A, whereas depression was uniquely associated with Daily Disturbances and PSQI-A. Notably, cardiometabolic symptoms explained independent variance in PSQI global and Sleep Efficiency. These findings help lay the groundwork for further investigations of the mechanisms of sleep dysfunction in trauma-exposed individuals and may help in the development of more effective, individualized treatments.
... Epidemiologic studies show that events involving interpersonal victimization (sexual assault, torture) are 'associated with the highest rates of chronic PTSD, \vhereas lower magnitude events (motor vehicle a~cidents, life-threatening illness, disaster) are associated with lower rates of trauma (2). The prevalence of chronic PTSD among torture survivors such as prisoners of war and concentration camp survivors is 50% to 75% (10)(11)(12)(13). In contrast, the prevalence rate of chronic PTSD in survivors of natural disasters is substantially lower (2',14,15). ...
Because only a proportion of persons exposed to traumatic events develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), it has become important to elucidate the factors that increase the risk for the development of PTSD following trauma exposure as well as the factors that might serve to protect individuals from developing this condition. Putative risk factors for PTSD may describe the index traumatic event or characteristics of persons who experience those events. Recent data have implicated biological and familial risk factors for PTSD. For example, our recent studies have demonstrated an increased prevalence of PTSD in the adult children of Holocaust survivors, even though these children, as a group, do not report a greater exposure to life-threatening (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders [DSM-IV] Criterion A) events. These studies are reviewed. It is difficult to know to what extent the increased vulnerability to PTSD in family members of trauma survivors is related to biological or genetic phenomena as opposed to experiential ones. because of the large degree of shared environment in families. In particular, at-risk family members, such as children, may be more vulnerable to PTSD as a result of witnessing the extreme suffering of a parent with chronic PTSD rather than because of inherited genes. But even if the diathesis for PTSD were somehow "biologically transmitted" to children of trauma survivors, the diathesis is still a consequence of the traumatic stress in the parent. Thus, even the most biological of explanations for vulnerability must at some point deal with the fact that a traumatic event has occurred.
... Incidence of co-morbid physical, nervous disease, and mortality rates have also been reported among US Civil War-era veteran POW (Pizarro, Cohen-Silver, & Prause, 2006). Goldstein et al. (1987) reported 29 % of WWII POWS in Japan still met PTSD criteria 40 years after release. Lifetime PTSD rates in 426 POW during WWII and Korean War were reported as high as 70 %, with current rates of 20-40 % (Eberly & Engdahl, 1991). ...
As the USA enters into its 12th year of war, the persistent drum beat of negative news headlines of unmet mental health and social needs of veterans fuels public perception of a twenty-first century military behavioral health crisis. For many Americans, the status quo harkens back to previous wartime crises. Wartime mental health crises continue to happen, despite the personal and financial consequences. This paper address this crisis by carefully tracking the critical decisions that lead to the current situation. This is the first of a two-part preliminary analysis of generational wartime behavioral health crises. We first define wartime mental health crises and how current and past conditions qualify as such a crisis. Next, we point out that there is a continual underestimate of war and post-wartime behavioral health needs. We then provide an extensive review of official military records, government investigations, and news media reports; a compelling evidence of a major crisis in the twenty-first century. In the final section of the paper, we discuss the themes that emerged from the review that both confirm the generational failure to learn fundamental war trauma lessons.
... Numerous studies attest that stress reactions can persist long after the stressful circumstances themselves have subsided, although persistent problems typically manifest themselves in only a minority of exposed persons. Studies of persons exposed to less-circumscribed events including combat veterans, prisoners of war, and holocaust survivors, indicate that symptoms of stress exposure can persist for decades (Beebe, 1975;Eitinger, 1971;Engdahl, Speed, Eberly, and Schwartz, 1991;Goldstein, van Kämmen, Shelly et al., 1987;Hovens, Falger, Op denVelde, Schouten, de Groen, and van Duijn, 1992;Solomon and Kleinsauz, 1996). Other studies indicate that stress reactions can persist for years as well (Baum, Cohen, and Hall, 1993;Green, Lindy, Grace, Gleser et al., 1990;McFarlane, 1988;Winje, 1996). ...
... It has been suggested that sleep disturbances may be considered as core symptoms of PTSD [14]. A couple of data showed that sleep disturbances were correlated with exposure to traumatic events and development of PTSD [15][16][17][18]. For instance, sleep disturbances were the prevalent symptoms among persons who survived the 1995 Hanshin earthquake in Japan [19] and among survivors of the Holocaust [20]. ...
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a chronic psychiatric disorder that may develop after exposure to a life-threatening trauma. As veterans and armed forces may deal with diverse health problems compared with civilians, they have a greater risk for psychiatric disorders, including PTSD, than civilians, even if the disorder may be also frequent in the general population. PTSD is associated with significant comorbidity, especially with mood disorders and substance abuse. Moreover, the suicide risk is higher in PTSD patients than in the general population. Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), atypical antipsychotics and benzodiazepines are commonly employed in the management of PTSD, but often these treatments fail or are discontinued due to adverse effects. It has been demonstrated that high noradrenergic activity may be associated with hyperarousal, trauma nightmares and sleep disturbances in PTSD subjects, probably through the stimulation of α-1 adrenergic receptors in the brain prefrontal cortex. The α-1 adrenoreceptor antagonist prazosin decreases noradrenaline effects at brain α-1 adrenoreceptors and may be a promising agent in the treatment of PTSD, as some studies have found it effective and well tolerated. Therefore, the present review is aimed to examine the role of noradrenergic system in the pathophysiology of PTSD. Moreover, we conducted a systematic review to evaluate the effectiveness and tolerability of prazosin in PTSD patients. Meta-analysis was used to combine data from multiple studies and better estimate the effect of prazosin on specific outcomes. We found prazosin to be significantly more efficacious than placebo in reducing distressing dreams in PTSD patients, even though our results should be interpreted with caution due to the small number of studies included in our quantitative synthesis.
... Si noti che la depressione è il tratto di più comune riscontro in tutti gli studi clinici condotti su persone cronicamente traumatizzate, come le vittime di torture prolungate (Walker, 1979;Hilberman, 1976;Krystal, 1968;Tennant et al., 1986;Goldstein et al., 1987;Kinzie et al., 1984). ...
... Ninety-one percent had difficulty maintaining sleep and 52% reported nightmares. 4 Several studies showed sleep disturbance in PTSD patients; however, there are controversies about studies using objective sleep measurements to record markers of disrupted sleep in these patients. Some polysomnographic (PSG) studies showed impairments in some sleep parameters in PTSD patients, 5 whereas other studies using PSG 6 and actigraphy 7 showed no sig-nificant differences in sleep parameters between subjects with and without PTSD. ...
Sleep disturbance is a common self-reported complaint by PTSD patients. How-ever, there are controversies in documenting objective indices of disrupted sleep in these patients. The aim of the present study was to assess sleep disturbances in veterans with chronic PTSD, using both subjective and objective assessments.
Thirty two PTSD patients with complaints of insomnia were evaluated using the Clini-cian Administrated PTSD Scale version 1 (CAPS) and completed the Pittsburg Sleep Quality In-dex (PSQI) for subjective evaluation of their sleep. For objective evaluation, participants un-derwent two consecutive overnight actigraphic assessments. Total Sleep Time (TST), Sleep Laten-cy (SL), Sleep Efficiency (SE) and Number of Awakening (NWAK) were measured in all partici-pants.
Participants underestimated TST (p less than 0.0001), SE (p less than 0.0001) as well as NASO (0.03) in the questionnaire compared to the actigraphic assessment and overestimat-ed SL (p less than 0.0001).
Objective sleep parameters do not adversely affect veterans with chronic PTSD. Self-reported sleep disturbance in these patients is not reliable and objective sleep as-sessments are necessary © 2015 KUMS, All rights reserved.
... Prolonged or repeated exposure to extreme stressors is associated with the development of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other mental and physical health conditions (Albuquerque et al., 2003;Friedman, 2006;Goldstein et al., 1987; DSM-IV-TR, APA, 2000; Kaysen et al., 2003;Yehuda et al., 1998;Orengo-García et al., 2001). Studies have suggested that PTSD presents high comorbidity rates, with a wide range of psychopathology and physical symptomatology (Foa et al., 2000;Pinto-Gouveia and Sacadura, 2003), and is responsible for the increased mortality rate (Foa et al., 2000) of war Veterans. ...
Background: Military combat exposure can be perceived as a great threat to the integrity of soldiers. However, no available assessment tools evaluate the degree of emotional distress that results from the exposure to various combat scenarios. This paper presents the second independent section of the Combat Exposure Questionnaire, the Combat Distress Scale (CEQ B). This questionnaire assesses Veterans' subjective emotional distress that is due to objective and typical military combat scenarios during war. Methods: A sample of 708 Portuguese Overseas War Veterans participated. The scale structure of the CEQ B was analyzed with a Rasch Model, and the internal consistency and convergent validity of the scale were studied. The temporal reliability was calculated in a subgroup of 112 participants. Two samples of war Veterans with and without war-related Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (N = 40 and N = 47, respectively) were used to explore the scale's discriminant validity.
Results: Overall, the CEQ B showed an acceptable fit to the data, excellent internal consistency, high temporal stability, adequate convergent validity and suitable discriminant validity. Limitations: This study used a population of male war Veterans that did not equally represent genders or the full adult age span, which may hinder the generalization of the results.
Conclusion: The findings indicated that the CEQ B is valid, reliable and supported by convergent and discriminant data. This lends confidence in the use of the measure as an assessment of the subjective emotional distress resulting from exposure to military combat scenarios in clinical and research settings.
... Subsequent exposure to these or similar stimuli can evoke vivid memories and various somatic and autonomic responses that, in extreme cases, may be infused with all the emotional intensity of the original experience. These same experiences can also lead to a less stimulus-bound, presumably non-associative sensitization (i.e., hyper-arousal) that lasts for days, weeks, or even years (e.g., up to 4 decades in Goldstein et al. 1987). In practice, it can be difficult to discriminate between associative fear and non-associative sensitization (e.g., Kamprath and Wotjak 2004), but because both contribute to the long-lasting and sometimes-debilitating after-effects of trauma (e.g., Pitman et al. 1993;Shalev et al. 1992), considerable resources have been directed towards identifying their neural substrates. ...
A core symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder is hyper-arousal-manifest in part by increases in the amplitude of the acoustic startle reflex. Gewirtz et al. (Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 22:625-648, 1998) found that, in rats, persistent shock-induced startle increases were prevented by pre-test electrolytic lesions of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST). We used reversible inactivation to determine if similar effects reflect actions on (a) BNST neurons themselves versus fibers-of-passage, (b) the development versus expression of such increases, and (c) associative fear versus non-associative sensitization. Twenty-four hours after the last of three shock sessions, startle was markedly enhanced when rats were tested in a non-shock context. These increases decayed over the course of several days. Decay was unaffected by context exposure, and elevated startle was restored when rats were tested for the first time in the original shock context. Thus, both associative and non-associative components could be measured under different conditions. Pre-test intra-BNST infusions of the AMPA receptor antagonist NBQX (3 μg/side) blocked the non-associative (as did infusions into the basolateral amygdala) but not the associative component, whereas pre-shock infusions disrupted both. NBQX did not affect baseline startle or shock reactivity. These results indicate that AMPA receptors in or very near to the BNST are critical for the expression and development of non-associative shock-induced startle sensitization, and also for context fear conditioning, but not context fear expression. More generally, they suggest that treatments targeting the BNST may be clinically useful for treating trauma-related hyper-arousal and perhaps for retarding its development.
... The current sample has several unique characteristics. First, the Israeli prisoners were held for periods ranging from six weeks to eight months, whereas the American POWs in the Far East, for example, were held for several years, during which they were subjected to prolonged and repeated torture under extremely harsh physical conditions and deprivation (Goldstein, van Kammen, Shelly, Miller, & van Kammen, 1987;Sutker & Allain, 1996). These differences may explain the relatively low rates of PTSD among the participants in our sample compared with the 30% through 76% among veterans examined 40 to 50 years after World War II (Zeiss & Dickman, 1989;Sutker & Allain, 1996). ...
This study examined marital adjustment and relations among couples where husbands had been a prisoner-of-war (i.e., POW) and couples where husbands were veterans, but not POWs. The study also examined the relative contribution of the husband's post-traumatic stress disorder (i.e., PTSD) and POW experience to both spouses' marital adjustment. Results from 157 couples (85 former POWs and spouses as well as 72 veterans but not POWs and their spouses as controls) indicated that former POW couples had lower marital adjustment, sexual satisfaction, and self-disclosure, and higher verbal abuse than the control couples. Captivity indirectly influenced the husband's marital adjustment through his PTSD. In turn, PTSD had an indirect effect on both spouses' marital adjustment, fully mediated through marital relations variables.
... Die Befunde der vorliegenden Studie lassen vermuten, daß spezifische Angstund Vermeidungsreaktionen mit zunehmendem zeitlichen Abstand zu den traumatisierenden Haftbedingungen generalisieren und besonders zu phobischen Störungen führen können. In bezug auf depressive Störungen nach sich wiederholenden, lang anhaltenden Traumatisierungen führt Herman [18] theoretisch aus, wie typische Symptome der posttraumatischen Belastungsstörung ebenso in depressive Erkrankungen übergehen können. ...
In an exploratory study, 54 persons, were examined who were imprisoned--for at least six months--for political reasons first in the Soviet Occupation Zone and/or later in the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) between 1945 and 1972. Conditions of imprisonment included means that may be classified as psychological torture. Biographical data, experiences of imprisonment, factors helpful for coping, and influence of imprisonment on the persons' life were investigated in a semistructured interview. Symptoms were self-rated on a combined form of the von Zerssen Complaints List, psychiatric disorders were assessed in the computerised WHO composite International Diagnostic Interview. In 29 persons no psychiatric disorder was diagnosed. In 25 persons mostly anxiety disorders and depressive disorders were found. 21 of the latter reported that the onset of symptoms was during imprisonment or within a one-year period following it. Many persons had some symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder while only one fulfilled all criteria for diagnosing it. Only a few variables were significantly correlated with the severity of self-rated symptoms or with the existence of a psychiatric disorder. The shared variance was limited. Former prisoners with a better vocational integration had less often a psychiatric disorder and fewer symptoms. When interviewes stated some positive implications of imprisonment for their life thereafter and when they had more social contacts, this was also associated with a lower severity of self-rated symptoms. Language: de
... These staggering psy− chological losses most commonly result in a tenacious state of depression. Protracted depression is reported as the most common finding in virtually all clinical studies of chronically traumatized people (Goldstein et al., 1987) Herman, 1981Hilberman, 1980;Kinzie et al., 1984;Krystal, 1968;Walker, 1979). Every aspect of the experience of prolonged trauma combines to aggravate depressive symptoms. ...
This paper reviews the evidence for the existence of a complex form of post-traumatic disorder in survivors of prolonged, repeated trauma. This syndrome is currently under consideration for inclusion in DSM-IV under the name of DESNOS (Disorders of Extreme Stress Not Otherwise Specified). The current diagnostic formulation of PTSD derives primarily from observations of survivors of relatively circumscribed traumatic events. This formulation fails to capture the protean sequelae of prolonged, repeated trauma. In contrast to a single traumatic event, prolonged, repeated trauma can occur only where the victim is in a state of captivity, under the control of the perpetrator. The psychological impact of subordination to coercive control has many common features, whether it occurs within the public sphere of politics or within the private sphere of sexual and domestic relations.
... More than 45 years after WWII, 34.5% of Dutch resistance veterans in one study suffered from current post-traumatic stress (Aarts et al., 1996). Forty years after WWII, 29% of the elderly former-POWs in one study (Speed et al., 1989) and 50% ( Goldstein et al., 1987) in another revealed that they continued to meet the diagnostic criteria for post-traumatic stress. Lifetime diagnoses of PTSD were found in 67% of the elderly former- POWs ( Kluznik et al., 1986). ...
Debate persists about whether people of different ages react similarly to traumatic events, and whether elderly people are more vulnerable to such events, or better able to cope with them. The first aim of this paper was to shed light on this debate by comparing the post-traumatic responses of young, middle-aged and elderly community residents who had been exposed to technological disasters. The second aim was to differentiate between these three age groups in terms of coping strategies.
One hundred and forty-eight community residents, who were exposed to two technological disasters, participated in the study. They were assessed using the Impact of Event Scale (IES), the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) and the Ways of Coping Checklists (WOC).
The results showed that in terms of IES, GHQ and WOC scores, no significant differences were found across the three age groups. However, main effects were found according to type of disaster and intensity of exposure to disaster. One significant interaction effect was that residents exposed to the aircraft crash used significantly more confrontive coping than those exposed to the train collision, in all three age groups. Correlation coefficients results showed that for all three age groups, on the whole, the more they experienced intrusive thoughts and avoidance behaviour, the more they experienced general health problems.
Following exposure to technological disasters, young, middle-aged and elderly community residents could display similar post-traumatic responses and employ similar coping strategies, which contradicts the vulnerability hypothesis and the inoculation hypothesis.
... Early studies of POW survivors revealed high prevalences of negative psychological and physical consequences (Beebe, 1975;KJonoff, McDougall, Clark, Kramer, & Horgan, 1976). More recent research has documented rates of current PTSD in as many as 50% (Goldstein, van Kammen, Shelly, Miller, & van Kammen, 1987) and 70% (Sutker et al., 1993) of samples of WWII Pacific theater of operations POW survivors. Rates of lifetime PTSD have been found to range among WWII POW survivors from 67% (Kluznik, Speed, Van Valkenburg, & Magraw, 1986) to 78% (Sutker et al., 1993). ...
Mental disorders were assessed in 326 prisoners of war (POWs) of the World War II (WWII) European theater, WWII Pacific theater, and Korean Conflict (KC) and in combat veterans of both wars. Diagnoses were identified using a structured diagnostic interview including a posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) module. POW trauma severity was measured by a trauma events index, captivity weight loss, and captivity duration. KC and WWII Pacific former POWs reported the most extreme trauma and, as hypothesized, showed highest prevalences of lifetime and current mental disorders and PTSD. POW subgroups exhibited greater psychopathology than combat veterans. PTSD was frequently associated with other mental disorders and found in high prevalences in all subgroups, pointing to the persistent, far-reaching impact of combat and POW experiences on mental health. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Objective: To find out the prevalence of anxiety and depression among Iraqi repatriated prisoners of Iran-Iraq war(IRPOWs), and the relationship with some variables.Methodology: A descriptive study was carried out from Oct. 18th, 2009 through Jan. 10th, 2010. A Snowballsampling as a non-probability sampling technique was used to recruit 92 repatriates who had visited Ministry ofHuman Rights. An instrument was constructed for this purpose. The constructed instrument consisted of sixdemographic characteristics, and fourteen items to measure the level of anxiety and depression in prisoners ofwar (POWs). Data were collected with using the constructed instrument and the process of the interview as meansfor data collection. Data were analyzed through the application of descriptive statistical analysis, which are;percentages, frequencies and inferential statistic analysis (Pearson correlation coefficient).Results: The study revealed that the majority of IRPOWs have some levels of; anxiety (62.0%) with the levels of:mild (28.3%), moderate (25.0%), and severe (8.7%); and depression (63.0%) with the levels of: mild (27.2%),moderate (29.3%), and severe (6.5%). The findings also indicated that there is no significant relationship betweenanxiety and depression relative to; current age, age at capture, duration of captivity, marital status, and level ofeducation.Recommendations: The study recommends that it is very important to establish special mental health servicescentres within the primary health care centres deal with those repatriates for counselling and in order to diagnoseand treat them and further studies in this field with follow-up studies for the POWs
Study objectives:
Post-traumatic nightmares may exacerbate and perpetuate the daytime symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and might represent a therapeutic target. The therapeutic strategy of memory reconsolidation using the β-adrenergic receptor blocker propranolol associated with re-exposure psychotherapy is a promising treatment in PTSD patients. Previous studies have established this therapy is effective in reducing overall clinician-assessed PTSD symptoms but to date no previous study has specifically focused on posttraumatic nightmares in this therapy. This study provides a preliminary assessment of the evolution of nightmares severity during this therapy protocol, compared with the decrease of the other PTSD symptoms. It evaluates the incidence of side effects and examines the relative effects on posttraumatic nightmares.
Methods:
Patients were recruited as part of the Paris Mémoire Vive study. Data were collected using a prospective longitudinal design including one baseline visit, six therapeutic visits, and two follow-up visits. During the six therapeutic visits, propranolol was administered orally 60 to 75 minutes prior to the psychotherapeutic session.
Results:
On average, nightmare severity decreased from "severe" to "mild" during the protocol and remained stable two months after the last session. Whereas 85% of patients reported nightmares at baseline, only 50% still had them after the protocol. The protocol was generally well tolerated and, did not increase nightmare severity for any patient in the study.
Conclusions:
Memory reconsolidation therapy with propranolol seems promising in reducing nightmare severity, up to and including remission. However, research using a randomized controlled design, and assessing maintenance of nightmare extinction, is warranted.
Clinical trial registration:
Registry: ClinicalTrials.gov; Name: Using Reconsolidation Blockade to Treat Trauma Related Disorders After Paris Attacks: An Effectiveness Study (PARIS-MEM); Identifier: NCT02789982; URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02789982.
0891-0899 وكذلك بين العالقة لمعرفة هذين مستويات العائدين. االسرى لهؤالء الديموغرافية المواصفات وبعض اإلضطرابين المنهجية : وصفية دراسة إنجازها تم من تاريخ 09 الثاني، تشرين 2118 الثاني، كانون من العاشر الى 2101 ، أستخدام تم األحتمالية غير الطريقة الم ستندة الب البحث عينة جمع في الثلجية الكرة على الغة 82 الذين من عائد أسير زيارة في كانوا ل بغداد. في األنسان حقوق وزارة أجل من جمع المعلومات بالبحث الخاصة فقد الغرض لهذا خاص إستبيان أستخدام تم و ال المقابلة بأستعمال مختصرة من ستة من يتكون األول قسمين: ويتضمن الديموغرافية المواصفات العائديين لألسرى ، على يحتوي الثاني والقسم 01 فقر ة ل مخصصة مستويات قياس ةالكآبة القلق إضطرابي. تحليل تم المعلومات جمعت التي التحلي بتطبيق التحليلي. األحصاء وأيضا المئوية؛ والنسبة الترددات تضمن والذي الوصفي ل النتائج: (العائديين العراقيين األسرى غالبية بأن الدراسة كشفت 0221 ا بعض لديهم)% إضطراب من لمستويات (البسيط منها القلق 2922 %)؛ (والمتوسط 2.21 (والشديد %)؛ 928 الكآبة أما ،)% (فأن 0221 منهم)% اإلضطراب: بهذا مصاب (البسيط منها 2822 و)% (المتوسط 2822)% و (العالي 02. .)% أي الدراسة تجد ولم هذ بين ما أحصائية عالقة ين اإلضطراب ين و أ لألسرى اليموغرافية المواصفات من ي العائديين. التوصيات: أوصت ب الدراسة ضم مرا ضمن النفسية للصحة خاصة مراكز األ الصحية العناية كز ل ولية ومتابعة معرفة و عالج العائديين، األسرى هؤالء وكذلك ب باألستمرار العمل لم الدراسات أنجاز الصحية حاالتهم تطور تابعة ال جسمي ة و ال نفسي ة. Abstract: Objective: To find out the prevalence of anxiety and depression among Iraqi repatriated prisoners of Iran-Iraq war (IRPOWs), and the relationship with some variables. Methodology: A descriptive study was carried out from Oct. 18th, 2009 through Jan. 10th, 2010. A Snowball sampling as a non-probability sampling technique was used to recruit 92 repatriates who had visited Ministry of Human Rights. An instrument was constructed for this purpose. The constructed instrument consisted of six demographic characteristics, and fourteen items to measure the level of anxiety and depression in prisoners of war (POWs). Data were collected with using the constructed instrument and the process of the interview as means for data collection. Data were analyzed through the application of descriptive statistical analysis, which are; percentages, frequencies and inferential statistic analysis (Pearson correlation coefficient). Results: The study revealed that the majority of IRPOWs have some levels of; anxiety (62.0%) with the levels of: mild (28.3%), moderate (25.0%), and severe (8.7%); and depression (63.0%) with the levels of: mild (27.2%), moderate (29.3%), and severe (6.5%). The findings also indicated that there is no significant relationship between anxiety and depression relative to; current age, age at capture, duration of captivity, marital status, and level of education. Recommendations: The study recommends that it is very important to establish special mental health services centres within the primary health care centres deal with those repatriates for counselling and in order to diagnose and treat them and further studies in this field with follow-up studies for the POWs.
Objectives: To examine psychiatric morbidity, in particular Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in road traffic accident victims. Design: Prospective, longitudinal one year follow up study of two groups of victims differentiated on severity of event by admission to hospital, one group admitted, one not admitted. Setting: Accident and Emergency Department of North Tees General Hospital, serving a mixed urban and rural population of 177,299. Subjects: 80 general road accident victims presenting at Accident and Emergency who resided in North Tees Health District. 30 consecutive admissions to hospital and 50 randomly recruited, not admitted, aged 18–65, not involved in a fatal accident nor receiving significant head injury. Main Measure: PTSD. Subsidiary Measures: Psychiatric disorder, depression, anxiety and symptoms related to accident circumstances. Results: At least one fifth of subjects suffered PTSD during the year following the accident. Just over one third of those admitted to hospital and approximately one eighth of those not admitted to hospital so suffered. Most improved over time but one twentieth pursued a chronic course. Other psychological consequences sometimes occurred, either co-morbid with PTSD or independently. At least one third suffered psychiatric disorder. This was not synonymous with PTSD but was present in just over half PTSD cases. Depression occurred in approximately one fifth of the total sample and anxiety symptoms in one tenth. One fifth suffered accident related phobias. Admission to hospital and higher Impact of Event scores were predictive of developing PTSD. Accident related symptomatology was not influenced by seeking compensation. Conclusions: Road traffic accidents are common events as is the development of PTSD after such an accident. PTSD is more likely to develop the more severe the event, but can occur after a relatively minor accident and may become chronic. Other psychological consequences can occur. The cost to the individual and society is great. More research and prevention strategies are required.
الملخص:
تهدف الدراسة الحالية إلى معرفة ردود فعل لحظة الاعتقال ولحظة الإفراج للأسرى الفلسطينيين بمحافظات غزة، ومعرفة الفروق بين لحظة الاعتقال والإفراج، المتوقع والمفاجئ، وهل تختلف ردود الفعل باختلاف المستوى التعليمي، والحالة الاجتماعية، وقد أجريت الدراسة على عينة قوامها (60) أسيرا، وباستخدام مقياسي لحظة الاعتقال ولحظة الإفراج من إعداد الطلاع والشريف وتوصلت الدراسة إلى أن أكثر ردود الفعل انتشاراً لدى الأسير لحظة اعتقاله هي الصلابة النفسية، وتحمل الضغوط، والقلق، والهستيريا، وأخيراً الاكتئاب، وأن أكثر ردود الفعل لحظة الإفراج بالترتيب هي: التفاؤل والتشاؤم، والعلاقات الاجتماعية، والبهجة والسرور، والقلق الأمني، ثم قلق المستقبل، كما أظهرت نتائج الدراسة عدم وجود فروق دالة بين لحظة الاعتقال المفاجئ ولحظة الاعتقال غير المفاجئ في جميع المجالات باستثناء مجال (الهستيريا)، كما أشارت النتائج أيضاً لعدم وجود فروق دالة بين لحظة الإفراج المفاجئ ولحظة الإفراج غير المفاجئ في جميع المجالات، كما أوضحت النتائج عدم وجود فروق دالة ترجع لمتغير المستوى التعليمي على مقياسي لحظة الاعتقال ولحظة الإفراج، أما في متغير العلاقات الاجتماعية فقد أظهرت النتائج عدم وجود فروق بين الأسير الأعزب والأسير المتزوج في جميع المجالات باستثناء مجال (الصلابة النفسية) علي مقياس لحظة الاعتقال لم توجد فروق دالة بين الأسير المتزوج والأسير الأعزب في جميع المجالات باستثناء مجال (التفاؤل والتشاؤم) ومجال (قلق المستقبل) لصالح الأسير المتزوج على مقياس لحظة الإفراج.
Abstract
The current study aims to identify the reactions of the moment of arrest and release of the Palestinian prisoners in the Gaza Strip governorates, and to know the differences between the moment of arrest and release, whether expected or surprising, and to know whether the reactions vary due to education level, and social status.
The study was conducted on a sample of (60) Palestinian prisoners, using the moment of arrest, and the moment of the release scales prepared by Talaa and Sharif. The study found that the most prevalent reactions among the prisoner at moment of arrest is psychological hardiness, stress, anxiety, hysteria, and finally depression. However, the most prevalent reactions at the moment release are the following: optimism and pessimism, social relations, joy, safety anxiety, and future anxiety.
Besides, the results showed no significant differences between the surprising arrest moment and the expected arrest moment in all domains with the exception of (hysteria domain). Likewise, the results showed a lack of significant differences between the surprising release moment and the expected one in all domains. The results showed the absence of significant differences due to the variable of level of education on the scales of the moment of arrest and the moment of release. Regarding the variable of social relations, the results showed no differences between the bachelor captive and married one in all domains with the exception of the domain of (psychological hardiness) on the moment of arrest scale. There were no significant differences between the married prisoner and the bachelor one in all domains of the moment of release scale except for the domain of (optimism and pessimism) and the domain of (future anxiety) in favor of the married prisoner
There have been rapid advances made in the pharmacological treatment of chronic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the last decade. Based on numerous controlled clinical trials, antidepressants are the first-line pharmacological treatment for this disorder. Multiple studies suggest the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (fluoxetine, sertraline, and paroxetine) are efficacious in reducing PTSD-specific symptoms and improving global outcome; tricyclic anti-depressants (imipramine) and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (phenelzine) have also been found to be efficacious. For those who are resistant or refractory to antidepressant treatment, prazosin is emerging as a beneficial adjunctive agent in treating PTSD-related sleep disturbances and nightmares, and atypical antipsychotics (risperidone, olanzapine) appear to be efficacious against a broad range of symptoms, though their potential for causing metabolic side effects may limit their use. Controlled clinical trials are needed to assess whether anticonvulsants, cortisol, and sympatholytics are efficacious, and how and when pharmacotherapy can supplement or enhance psychotherapy outcomes. The pace of advances in recent years suggests that the promise of even more effective pharmacological treatments for PTSD is likely to be realized in the coming years.
The current diagnostic formulation of PTSD derives primarily from observations of survivors of relatively circumscribed traumatic events: combat, disaster, and rape. It has been suggested that this formulation fails to capture the protean sequelae of prolonged, repeated trauma. In contrast to the circumscribed traumatic event, prolonged, repeated trauma can occur only where the victim is in a state of captivity, unable to flee, and under the control of the perpetrator. Examples of such conditions include prisons, concentration camps, and slave labor camps. Such conditions also exist in some religious cults, in brothels and other institutions of organized sexual exploitation, and in some families.
The pathogenic effects of traumatic events have been consistently documented over a large range of populations and occurrences (Wilson & Raphael, 1993). At the same time, considerable variability in human response to trauma has been documented (e.g., Solomon, Mikulincer, & Waysman, 1991). Although many survivors are able to put the trauma behind them and resume their lives, others are detrimentally affected. They may suffer a deterioration of health and social functioning, along with a large variety of psychological disturbances, including anxiety, depression, somatization (Solomon, 1993), and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which is the most common and conspicuous psychological sequela of trauma (American Psychiatric Association, 1994).
We studied the prevalence of long-term posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in a population of men from Alsace-Lorraine who were forcibly drafted into the German armed forces during World War II (WW II), subsequently taken prisoners on the Russian front, and kept in Soviet captivity until repatriation to France several months or years later. They can be considered a homogeneous group with respect to age and their cultural and geographical backgrounds.
This chapter focuses on the mental health issues associated with crises that arise at the community or societal level, ranging from acts of terrorism to the impact of war on soldiers and civilians, and from the ravages of earthquakes and tornadoes to the very fear of an impending crisis itself. It discusses normal, common reactions to crises; pathologic or unhealthy reactions to crises; trauma and mental health; types of traumatic events; risk factors for mental disorders; and prevention and intervention strategies.
Regardless of the situation or sequelae, the most common human response to traumatic events is sleep disturbance and in, and of itself, this is considered normal. However, in the case of severe or sustained traumatic exposure such as that often experienced by defence personnel, sleep disturbances can become quite distressing and disabling. While this is not always associated with posttraumatic stress disorder or even acute stress disorder, sleep disturbances and nightmares are prevalent in many combat veterans. Many factors associated with deployment can precipitate sleep loss even before, or without, exposure to combat. In this chapter, the types and characteristics of the most common sleep disturbances in combat veterans will be outlined and described. The nature of the relationship between sleep loss, nightmares and PTSD will also be outlined and discussed. Factors involved in the cause and perpetuation of sleep disturbances in military personnel and combat veterans will also be examined. In addition, the most efficacious pharmacological and psychological interventions for the treatment of sleep loss and nightmares in this population will be highlighted.
Records of the war service disability claims for Australian Vietnam veterans in Tasmania (n = 751) were analysed to establish patterns of interrelationships between categories of disability. The predicted relationship between psychiatric disability and stress related skin disabilities was strongly supported and relationships between psychiatric and other medical disabilities were found. An exploratory principal components analysis produced three independent components which accounted for 21.2 percent of total variance. Component 1 was interpreted as a general military service component and components 2 and 3 were labelled as stress components. The most likely interpretation of the two stress components was that they reflect differences in profiles of records for disability claims depending on the time when the disability presented. The relevance of the findings is discussed.
Background: With a lifetime prevalence of 8% posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the most common mental disorders; nevertheless, its longitudinal course is largely unknown. Aims: Our aim was to conduct a systematic review summarizing available findings on the prospective, naturalistic long-term course of PTSD and its predictors. Methods: Databases MEDLINE and PsycINFO were searched. Main selection criteria were: 1) naturalistic cohort study with a follow-up period of at least 3 years, 2) adult participants with observer-rated or probable PTSD at baseline. Results: Twenty-four cohorts (25 studies) were retrieved (14 with observer-assessed, 10 with probable PTSD). In total, they comprised about 10,500 participants with PTSD at baseline that were included in the long-term follow-ups. Studies investigating patient populations with observer-assessed PTSD found that between 18% and 50% of patients experienced a stable recovery within 3-7 years; the remaining subjects either facing a recurrent or a more chronic course. Outcomes of community studies and studies investigating probable PTSD varied considerably (remission rates 6-92%). Social factors (e.g. support) as well as comorbid physical or mental health problems seem to be salient predictors of PTSD long-term course and special focus should be laid on these factors in clinical settings. Conclusions: Included studies differed notably with regard to applied methodologies. The resulting large variability of findings is discussed. More standardized systematic follow-up research and more uniformed criteria for remission and chronicity are needed to gain a better insight into the long-term course of PTSD.
Combat exposure has a negative impact on individuals’ physical and mental health, being an important risk factor for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This study aimed to develop the first section (Section A) of a new self-report measure, the Combat Experiences Questionnaire (CEQ) and investigate its psychometric properties on Portuguese Colonial War veterans. This independent scale assesses the severity of exposure to objective and typical combat situations.
To analyze suitability and comprehensibility a 23 items pool was completed by 30 veterans. Its structure was explored through the Rach model in a sample of 708 veterans, as well as its divergent ability. Test-retest reliability was assessed in a subset of 112 participants who answered the questionnaire three weeks later. In order to assess discriminant capacity, a clinical group of veterans with PTSD (N = 40) and a non-clinical group without PTSD (N = 47) were established based on a structured diagnostic interview. All the subjects completed the QEC, the PTSD Checklist-Military, the Beck Depression Inventory and the Anxiety and Stress Scales of DASS-21.
Results suggest that the 23 items correspond to a single component structure that, after aggregation of certain response categories, presents an adequate fit to the data. The QEC reveals excellent test-retest reliability and significant correlations with PTSD, depression, anxiety and stress symptoms. It shows a good capacity to discriminate between veterans with and without PTSD symptoms.
Section A of the QEC was found to be valid and reliable. Future studies should confirm these results.
Since combat exposure is an important risk factor associated with psychopathology developed by war veterans (particularly PTSD), QEC future application to the Portuguese Colonial War veterans will enable a more complete clinical assessment and a consequent maximization of therapeutic gains.
This study assessed the role of sociodemographic features, pre-captivity combat exposure, captivity severity, emotional responses and coping during captivity, and social support at homecoming, to the short- and long-term mental health of 164 Israeli POWs of the 1973 Yom Kippur War. The major contributors to the POWs' mental health were psychological responses during captivity, followed first by their education and ethnic status, and then by severity of captivity. Both traumatic stress of captivity and the results of the study were discussed in the light of Conservation of Resources (COR) theory.
The long-term outcome of a civilian disaster is examined in an elderly population assessed originally for medicolegal purposes. Thirty-one elderly inhabitants of the village of Lockerbie, who had survived the Lockerbie air disaster, were assessed 1 year after the event. Nineteen of the sample were available for reexamination 2 years later. Although there was a significant reduction in the incidence of PTSD and significant improvement across a range of anxiety-based symptoms, 15.7% of the subjects continued to fulfil diagnostic criteria (DSM-III-R) for PTSD. In these subjects, there was a persistence of other anxiety-related symptoms and of major depression (DSM-III-R). This is the only longitudinal assessment of PTSD in elderly subjects and it shows that, as with younger subjects, PTSD tends to persist for at least 2 years after the traumatic event and, for a substantial minority, has still not remitted within 3 years of the traumatic event.
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder among survivors and affected families of the Amman Hotels terrorist explosions
Dr. Fawwaz Ayoub Momani
Assistant Prof: Educational and Psychological Counseling Dept., Faculty of Education. Yarmouk University, Irbid-Jordan
Professor Rafe Al zagoul
Educational and Psychological Counseling Dept., Faculty of Education. Yarmouk University, Irbid-Jordan
Abstract: This study aimed at investigating post-traumatic stress disorder among victims and families of the Amman Hotels explosions. To achieve the purpose of the study, the researcher used the post-traumatic stress disorder scales (PTSD) which were developed by Frank Weathers et al.,
The participants of the study were of (353) persons of the victims and their first degree relatives who once engaged implicitly or explicitly in Amman Hotels explosions. The researchers used Means, Standard Deviation, and Three-Ways ANOVA.
The results showed that the levels of total PTSD symptoms were moderate, and it was found that (75.3%) of the victims were experiencing PTSD symptoms with levels of moderate, high, and very high.
The results pointed out that there were no statistically significant differences at the levels of PTSD attributed to the effect of sex, and direct exposure to explosions. Whereas, there were statistically significant differences attributed to previous trauma in favor of possessing previous trauma. The researchers recommend that special counseling programs should be conducted by NGOs in order to meet psychosocial needs of the victims and their families.
Keywords: , Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, explosion, and Victims of Terror.
This paper focuses on the stable personality trait of introspectiveness, exploring the relationship between introspectiveness and childhood trauma, dissociation and emotional distress. Ninety Israeli women were recruited from emergency counseling services and from academic and office employment settings. Pearson correlations between traumatic experiences and various dimensions of introspectiveness revealed significant links. Negative emotional and sexual experiences were the trauma variables that contributed most to this relationship, whereas a tendency to be aware of feelings toward family and about mortality were the dimensions of introspection that added most to this association. Prior trauma history, dissociation, introspectiveness, and emotional distress were significantly interrelated. The data from a path analysis performed suggest that introspectiveness may be better explained by the independent effect of dissociation rather than directly by trauma or by emotional distress. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed.
Examines posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among older Vietnam combat veterans. It is suggested that PTSD among these veterans is generally chronic, silent, and exacerbated by the problems of aging. These Ss with PTSD can be divided into those with full PTSD and those with partial PTSD. Studies are cited showing prevalence rates for PTSD. The difficulties in measuring PTSD are described. Several moderating variables influence the expression of trauma problems at later life, including the presence of other stressors, health status, social support, and comorbidity. Several forms of therapy are considered, including cognitive behavioral therapy, reminiscence, and relaxational desensitization. Also, several treatment suggestions are given, advocating interventions of a stuck narrative in an aging population. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Studied dream recall of 23 Holocaust survivors: 12 well-adjusted and 11 less-adjusted, and 10 age-matched normal controls. Ss were awakened on the 1st, 3rd, and 4th nights from REM sleep for dream recall. Well-adjusted survivors had significantly lower recall rate than less-adjusted and controls. Dreams of the well-adjusted were significantly less complex and less salient than those of the controls; they also had significantly higher scores for denial of emotions toward their dreams after the awakening. Dreams of the less-adjusted had significantly higher scores for general anxiety, guilt anxiety, diffused anxiety, general aggression, inwardly directed aggression, and interpersonal conflicts than those of controls. The less-adjusted also dreamed significantly more than the other 2 groups about their childhood. Half of their dreams were judged to be anxiety dreams. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
In 1980, the U.S. Department of Defense began the first in a series of systematic studies on health-related behaviors of military personnel across periods of peace and war (Bray et al., 1983, 1995, 2003). These studies included surveillance of substance use trends and their impact on military readiness. Overall, the most recent survey results reveal that the military has made a noteworthy improvement in combating illegal drug use. Prevalence rates declined from 27.6% in 1980 to 3.4% in 2002 (Bray et al., 2003) largely attributable to the military's zero tolerance policy for illicit drug use (Mehay & Pacula, 1999). Alcohol abuse levels have proven more variable as indicated by declining abuse rates from 1980 to 1998 but a recent increase noted in the 2002 survey. Service members reported an increase in serious consequences, productivity loss, alcohol dependence symptoms, average alcohol consumption, and heavy alcohol use (Bray et al., 2003). Alcohol problems affect the mission readiness of personnel across the spectrum of military occupational specialties. Although substance-related problems continue among uniformed personnel, significant attention has been given to reducing their impact across the military community. This chapter addresses the widespread prevention efforts (e.g., zero tolerance, random urinalysis, and mandatory education) underway throughout the military, early intervention services (e.g., alcohol screenings and intense education), the components of a comprehensive evaluation of a possible substance or gambling disorder, and the comorbidity of substance use disorders (SUDs) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The final section examines treatment options available for activeduty service members who experience problems with alcohol, drugs, and/or gambling (e.g., outpatient, intensive outpatient, and residential treatment). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Reviews literature on biological and treatment studies of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and presents unifying hypotheses regarding the pathophysiology. Psychophysiological studies stress overarousal, while endocrine studies suggest a decreased cortisol production in denial and low symptom states with increases in highly symptomatic states. Suggestive evidence is provided that PTSD is associated with permanent changes in brain mechanisms involving the locus coeruleus, amygdala, and the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis. Inconsistent results have been obtained in drug studies. The evidence provided in the PTSD studies may lead to development of diagnostic markers for PTSD. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
The history of military psychology is particularly rich and interesting. Although military history reaches back thousands of years, the history of formal military psychology is only a recent development, not even a century old. The development of psychology in the United States has had a similar growth trajectory as that of American military psychology, and it is easy to conclude that their history and growth are undeniably linked. However, the growth of military psychology has occurred in spurts, each related to the demands, psychological as well as military, of different conflicts. Whereas formal psychology has been only recently introduced to the U.S. military, organizational, clinical, and operational psychological concepts are inextricably intertwined with the historical development of war. Despite the fact that the history of formalized military psychology is relatively short, its impact pervades the practice of psychology in the United States. Military psychology has evolved from very limited participation to an indispensable asset in combat readiness and policy development. This chapter briefly describes the development of the profession of military psychology and various roles of the military psychologist through the years. The following chapters also provide some history of specific issues, to which the reader is directed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Assessed late-life psychological outcomes of World War II flight combat exposure among identical-twin pilots raised, educated, and trained together but discordant for combat exposure and war imprisonment, using twin study methodology. It was hypothesized that the prisoner of war (POW) survivor would exhibit psychopathology attributable, in part, to nonshared environmental events, specifically war trauma. Differences were evident in reported psychological symptoms, MMPI profile patterns, psychiatric diagnoses, and intellectual performances. Assigned a lifetime diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the former POW showed deficits in visuospatial analysis and organization, planning, impulse control, concept formation, and nonverbal memory. Results may be used to enhance understanding of measurement of stress-related symptoms among robust and well-trained servicemen. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
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