Comparison: Israeli Families Anxiety from SCUD Missiles Versus Palestinian Families Anxiety Since the Intifada

This is a study of 309 Palestinian families comparing their current trauma with the trauma experienced by Israeli families during the Gulf War during the SCUD missile attacks. Both populations have experienced adaptations of trauma but the Palestinian fathers have generally been more effected than their counterpart Israeli fathers. There are less reported symptoms of trauma when the victims have an active role to resist trauma.     

The Effects of the September 11 Terrorist Attacks on Russian Immigrants

ABSTRACT

The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 changed the course of American history. Because of the scope and proportion of the disaster, its impact on witnesses was unprecedented both with regard to the numbers of people who were psychologically affected as well as the intensity of individual reactions. To better understand how different groups of people witnessing the events through the mass media were impacted, we conducted a qualitative study of a sample of Russian immigrants. The data illustrate the emotional and cognitive reactions of the participants and their coping with the traumatic effect of the events. Possible links between the properties of Russian immigrants as a group and their responses to this traumatic effect are discussed.     

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Older Women

SUMMARY

This article examines the literature related to the identification and treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder in older women. From this review, several key findings emerge. Consistent in the research literature is the fact that American women are more at risk for PTSD than are men as a result of the high frequency of sexual and domestic physical abuse that women experience. Studies on older women and PTSD indicate that older women are under-diagnosed and are more typically perceived as suffering from depression, anxiety or poor physical health. It was found consistently that older women who present with age-related stressors may not be asked about earlier trauma history or it may not be understood within the context of trauma-related variables. In several research studies, trauma history was often not identified either as a result of current assessment practice or because women from certain age cohorts did not disclose trauma-related data to health professionals. Key researchers emphasize the necessity of clinicians, staff and medical personnel to attend to the historical variables present in trauma histories of older women. Researchers underscore the importance of understanding the impact of early and repeated trauma, especially interpersonal trauma, on the physical health and social functioning of older women–even though a significant amount of time may have elapsed since exposure. These findings indicate that further study of PTSD in older women is warranted. The paper concludes with a discussion of assessment and treatment options.     

Trauma Related Critical Incident Debriefing for Adolescents

Events like the tragedy at Columbine High School and the terrorists attacks on New York City in 2001 have highlighted the need for mental health practitioners to become familiar with interventions that are designed to assist young people who have survived extremely stressful events. Mental health professionals often see people who have experienced car accidents, severe abuse, rape, or other victimization, as well as survivors of natural and man-made disasters during the first critical stages of the recovery period. This article describes the process of critical incident de-briefing and provides a step-by-step primer for its application. The process is short-term (four sessions or less) and provides an intervention designed to reduce the frequency and severity of post-traumatic stress symptoms. Adolescents are particularly at risk because of issues surrounding identity formation, self- esteem, and developmental differences in coping mechanisms. Therefore, those who work with an adolescent cohort should be familiar with debriefing methods and how to apply them to the teenager.     

历史语境中人的复苏与人文呼唤--新时期小说人物形象审美流变之一

积极探讨一个历史时期的人物形象审美流变 ,既是对特定历史语境中文学面貌及发展态势的最好把握 ,也是对文学经验的最好积累。新时期以来的小说人物形象其深刻的审美嬗变不仅在一定的历史高度和文学高度实现了“人学”意义 ,也向当代文学强大的主流意识显示出最初的反叛姿态 ,从单一苍白化向多元丰富化发展 ,从浅层次向深层次拓进。但因典型理论依然在某种程度上影响着作家的“主体创造性” ,使人物形象在历史的期待中无法减轻过重的“思想”承担 ,留下了一些机械处理的痕迹     

Transitions of women’s substance use recovery networks and 12-month sobriety outcomes

Little is known about how the structure and composition of women’s personal social networks (PSNs) combine to support recovery from substance use disorders, how PSNs change during early recovery, or how known covariates such as trauma, co-occurring mental health disorders, or treatment modality impact this relationship. This study used latent profile and transition analyses with 6 recovery-specific PSN indicators in a sample of women in early recovery (N = 377) to identify three PSN typologies in relation to abstinence outcomes over 12 months, and track transitions between the typologies at 0–6 and 6–12 months. Women in the Highly Connected type (14.3 %) had tightly-knit networks, more sober alters, and fewer treatment-related alters. Women in the Treatment-Related type (49.3 %) had looser-knit networks with more sober and sobriety-supporting alters and alters they know from treatment. Women in the At-Risk type (36.3 %) had more isolates, few sobriety-supporting alters, and more alters with whom they used. Women in the Treatment-Related Sobriety Support type were significantly more likely to maintain sobriety by 12 months (B = −0.81; OR = 2.09, 95 % CI [1.23−3.56]) than women in the At Risk type. Higher mean Trauma Symptom Checklist scores were positively related to membership in the At Risk type. The majority of women who transitioned did so by 6 months, with 41.6 % transitioning then. Women in the At Risk group had the highest probability of transition (P = 0.55). Being in residential treatment (versus outpatient) predicted lower odds of transitioning (B = −0.81, p = .06). This study provides a framework for conducting longitudinal latent variable analysis with social network data, and offers a clinically-useful starting point for research on individualized, targeted, and stage-based interventions for women in recovery.     

Borderline Personality Disorder and Access to Services: A Crucial Social Justice Issue

A diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) can significantly affect access to services. Two Australian approaches to addressing this crucial social justice issue are compared: Project AIR (Affect Integration and Recovery), exemplifying changes within the existing psychiatric paradigm; and Adults Surviving Child Abuse's Practice Guidelines for Treatment of Complex Trauma and Trauma Informed Care and Service Delivery. Changes within the existing paradigm do not address stigma and fragmented services that create barriers to service. By comparison, the Guidelines represent a trauma informed perspective that recognises underlying complex trauma for most with the BPD diagnosis. Implications for services are discussed.     

Hidden trauma victims: Understanding and preventing traumatic stress in mental health professionals

Mental health professionals, including social workers, are often exposed to the traumatic experiences of clients in their work with victims of violence, crime, and disaster. Given their empathetic engagement with traumatized victims, they may experience severe emotional reactions such as terror, grief, and rage. Empirical evidence identifies these emotional reactions as “traumatic stress” including burnout, Traumatic Countertransference (TC), Vicarious Trauma (VT), and Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS)/Compassion Fatigue (CF). In this study, the history and definition of each traumatic stress are examined, and differences among them are explored. Preventive strategies for reducing traumatic stress in mental health professionals are discussed.     

现代性语境下跨文化作家超越创伤的书写

与现代性语境相伴而来的是人的创伤感。遭受创伤,就必然要解释创伤。文学作为审美的意识形态,在解释创伤中独具优势。当今时代是一个全球化的时代,个人有更多的机会生活在多元文化语境下。多元文化造就了跨文化作家,这个作家群体与现代性语境下的创伤感关系密切。跨文化作家的多元文化视角是在创伤体验中形成的,他们身上都不同程度地体现着流亡情结,这也使跨文化作家获得了世界眼光。     

Usual care for trauma-exposed youth: Are clinician-reported therapy techniques evidence-based?

The current study examined the extent to which usual care interventions targeting childhood traumatic stress involved the application of practice elements (Chorpita, Daleiden, & Weisz, 2005) represented among the evidenced-based treatments (EBTs) for trauma. Youth age and the presence of conduct problems at intake were examined as potential predictors of differences in the presence of elements from EBTs. Data were obtained from archival records from 814 youth who received services from a large, community-based mental health system. Results showed that usual care clinicians reported a variety of practices, only some of which were common to the evidence base for traumatic stress. ‘Exposure’ stood out as the most common practice element among EBTs for treating traumatic stress, but it was reported in fewer than a quarter of usual care cases. For youth receiving out-of-home services, a diagnosis of PTSD predicted that fewer practice elements from EBTs for trauma were reported. Also, as youth age increased, clinicians reported using more practice elements from the evidence base. These findings point to possible opportunities for service improvement in usual care settings for trauma-exposed youth and at the same time call into question whether aspects of the context or population warrant increased use of techniques not associated with EBTs for traumatic stress (cf. Brookman-Frazee, Haine, Baker-Ericzén, Zoffness, & Garland, 2010; Southam-Gerow, Chorpita, Miller, & Gleacher, 2008).