PTSD

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychological and physical condition that is caused by very frightening or distressing events. It occurs in up to 30% of people who experience traumatic events.

Our PTSD Blogs

Trauma transmission in the children of trauma-affected refugees: risk and protective factors

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Theofanis Kyriacou & Andie Ashdown consider a systematic review of risk and protective factors for trauma transmission among trauma-affected refugees and their non-exposed children.

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1 in 5 pre-school aged children develop PTSD symptoms following trauma exposure. Why are we still neglecting these children?

Shy boy

In her debut blog, Mira Vasileva summarises a systematic review which suggests that the pooled prevalence of PTSD in pre-school children who have been exposed to trauma was 21.5%.

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Can brain scans tell us how successful CBT for anxiety will be? Meta-analysis of task-based fMRI studies shows promise

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Millie Lowther, Isabel Luetkenherm, Carlos Mena and Alexandra Pike summarise a recent fMRI meta-analysis, which finds that activation in brain circuits related to salience, interoception and emotional processing were found to predict a positive response to CBT in anxiety disorders.

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Can Tetris help to reduce the intensity and distress of traumatic intrusive memories?

Sometimes life seems like Tetris: it throws at you several, different and unrelated things, and you try to mix and match them, and fit together everything at your best in a seemingly infinite struggle. 
Trying to clear the stage now and then, and maybe get that winning combo, just before everything becomes too overwhelming...

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Shot on Canon 550D, edit in Lightroom Classic CC.

Tanya Garg blogs a study which finds that visuospatial tasks like playing Tetris, do not reduce the intensity and distress of intrusions after watching a traumatic film.

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How could MDMA-assisted and psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy help people with depression and PTSD?

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Anya Borissova and Philip Brooks consider a recent review exploring MDMA-assisted psychotherapy and psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for trauma-related mental health difficulties.

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Is complex trauma associated with worse outcomes than non-complex trauma?

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Rudo Dube summarises a longitudinal study which finds that people exposed to complex trauma had higher levels of general psychopathology and were more likely to experience conditions such as PTSD, depression and psychotic symptoms.

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“We are family, even when apart”: family separation and mental health in refugees

Silhouette of a angry husband turning back while his wife and daughter are looking at him.Angry father turning back on his family

In her debut blog Elizabeth Hall reviews a study focusing on the impact of family separation on mental health outcomes among settled refugees in Australia.

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Psychotherapeutic approaches and treatment efficacy for comorbid BPD and PTSD

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Natalie Kashirsky summarises a systematic review on optimising treatment for comorbid BPD (borderline personality disorder) and PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder).

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Do therapist factors have an impact on PTSD outcomes in children and adolescents?

Young,Female,Professional,At,Desk,Smiling,To,Camera

In his debut blog, Sam Thompson explores a paper that looks into the associations between therapist factors and treatment efficacy in randomised controlled trials of trauma‐focused CBT for children and youth with PTSD.

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Are trauma-informed treatments effective for justice-involved youth?

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Laura Hemming summarises a meta-analysis which struggles to make firm conclusions about the effectiveness of trauma programs for justice-involved youth.

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