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Neuroscience 2022 Jun 25. Epub 2022 Jun 25.

VA Research Service, Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA, United States; Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, United States. Electronic address:

Fear memories are important for survival and are implicated in the etiology of fear disorders such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Fear memories are well studied pre-clinically and sex differences in rodent fear expression have been reported: females tend to freeze less than males. Whether this is a difference in fear learning or expression is debated. Read More

Am J Public Health 2022 Jun;112(S4):S433-S443

Ian A. Wright is with the Department of Economics, University of Miami Herbert Business School, Miami, FL. Rachelle Reid, Naysha Shahid, Amanda Ponce, Jasmyn Sanders, Nadine Gardner Sanders, Ervin Simmons, Gail Ironson, Steven A. Safren, and Sannisha K. Dale are with the Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Miami. C. Mindy Nelson, Jingxin Liu, Yue Pan, and Daniel J. Feaster are with the Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Arnetta Phillips is with the Department of Psychiatry, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Maria L. Alcaide and Allan Rodriguez are with the Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

To examine the effects of within-neighborhood and neighboring characteristics on discrimination, stigma, mental health, and HIV outcomes among Black women living with HIV (BWLWH). A total of 151 BWLWH in a southeastern US city provided baseline data (October 2019‒January 2020) on experienced microaggressions and discrimination (race-, gender-, sexual orientation-, or HIV-related), mental health (e.g. Read More

J Clin Psychol 2022 Jun 28. Epub 2022 Jun 28.

Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Texas A&M Health Science Center, College of Medicine, Bryan, Texas, USA.

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of the Primary Care Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Screen for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fifth Edition (DSM-5) (PC-PTSD-5) as a screening tool for the identification of PTSD among a civilian sample receiving behavioral health treatment within a primary care setting. Validation within a civilian sample will increase the generalizability of the PC-PTSD-5 as a brief screening measure to identify PTSD within primary care practices.

Method: The present study is a retrospective review of data (N = 198) collected as part of a patient registry for an integrated behavioral health consultation service within a primary care clinic. Read More

J Psychosoc Nurs Ment Health Serv 2022 Jun 30:1-7. Epub 2022 Jun 30.

A cross-sectional study was performed to examine the incidence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among adolescent survivors 2 years after the 2017 Jiuzhaigou earthquake, and to identify risk factors and their interaction effects. A total of 4,131 adolescents were recruited. PTSD was assessed using the PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version, and locus of control (LOC) and coping strategy were assessed using the Internality, Powerful Others and Chance Scale and Coping Styles Scale, respectively. Read More

J Dual Diagn 2022 Jun 27:1-9. Epub 2022 Jun 27.

Coatesville Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Coatesville, PA, USA.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the most frequently treated behavioral health conditions within the Department of Veterans Affairs and often co-occurs with alcohol or substance use. Past research suggests that alcohol and/or substance use may be used to cope with PTSD symptoms but there are inconsistent findings in how specific PTSD symptom clusters are associated with alcohol use disorder (AUD) or substance use disorder (SUD). Evaluating the relationship between PTSD symptom clusters and craving for individual drug of dependence may help explain these ambiguous results. Read More

Trials 2022 Jun 27;23(1):533. Epub 2022 Jun 27.

Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.

Background: Family members of critically ill patients face considerable uncertainty and distress during their close others' intensive care unit (ICU) stay. About 20-60% of family members experience adverse mental health outcomes post-ICU, such as symptoms of anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress. Guidelines recommend structured family inclusion, communication, and support, but the existing evidence base around protocolized family support interventions is modest and requires substantiation. Read More

Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022 Jun 24:104751. Epub 2022 Jun 24.

Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London, London, UK. Electronic address:

Elevated responsiveness to verbal suggestions is hypothesized to represent a predisposing factor for dissociative disorders (DDs) and related conditions. However, the magnitude of this effect has not been estimated in these populations nor has the potential moderating influence of methodological limitations on effect size variability across studies. This study assessed whether patients with DDs, trauma- and stressor-related disorders (TSDs), and functional neurological disorder (FND) display elevated hypnotic suggestibility. Read More

Contemp Clin Trials 2022 Jun 24:106839. Epub 2022 Jun 24.

Durham VA Healthcare System, Durham, NC, USA; VISN 6 Mid-Atlantic MIRECC, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, Washington, DC, USA. Electronic address:

Background: Smoking is a prevalent concern among Veterans, especially those with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Despite the availability of interventions for smoking cessation, these treatments have not been as effective among Veteran populations, particularly Veterans with PTSD. The present study seeks to describe the methods of a randomized clinical trial examining the efficacy of CPT-SMART, a multidimensional treatment combining cognitive processing therapy (CPT) for PTSD, smoking cessation counseling, pharmacotherapy, and contingency management (CM) compared to a yoked comparison group. Read More

JAMA Neurol 2022 Jun 27. Epub 2022 Jun 27.

Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, San Antonio.

Importance: Posttraumatic headache is the most disabling complication of mild traumatic brain injury. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms are often comorbid with posttraumatic headache, and there are no established treatments for this comorbidity.

Objective: To compare cognitive behavioral therapies (CBTs) for headache and PTSD with treatment per usual (TPU) for posttraumatic headache attributable to mild traumatic brain injury. Read More

Compr Psychoneuroendocrinol 2021 May 9;6:100045. Epub 2021 Mar 9.

Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.

17β-estradiol (E2) levels in women correlate with multiple neuropsychiatric symptoms, including those that are stress-related. Furthermore, prior work from our group has demonstrated that E2 status influences DNA methylation (DNAm) across the genome. We developed and validated a DNAm-based predictor of E2 (one of four naturally occurring estrogens) using a training set of 183 females and a test set of 79 females from the same traumatized cohort. Read More

Front Psychiatry 2022 9;13:856730. Epub 2022 Jun 9.

Department of Sport Science, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.

Background: Exercise programs have shown anxiolytic effects in psychiatric patients. Adherence to exercise programs and subsequent long-term lifestyle change is influenced by acute affective responses of the exercise programs. This research aimed to assess acute affective responses of two different exercise modalities compared to a non-exercise control program and its effects on persisting physical activity behavior change. Read More

Fed Pract 2022 Apr 11;39(4):182-185. Epub 2022 Apr 11.

Memphis Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Tennessee.

Background: Valproic acid (VPA) and its derivative, divalproex (DVP) can cause various hematologic dyscrasias, the most common being thrombocytopenia. Neutropenia and leukopenia have been reported in isolated cases, most occurring in pediatric patients or patients with epilepsy. We report a case of leukopenia and neutropenia that presented after cross taper from quetiapine to DVP for the treatment of borderline personality disorder. Read More

Fed Pract 2022 Apr 12;39(4):158-166. Epub 2022 Apr 12.

University of Kansas Medical Center, Department of Internal Medicine, Kansas City.

Background: Physical exercise offers benefits for treating psychological disorders, particularly depression. Exercise is associated with reduction of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in civilians. Given the comorbidities and unique trauma experiences of the veteran population, the current work aims to estimate the effect of exercise on PTSD symptoms in veteran samples. Read More

Compr Psychoneuroendocrinol 2022 Feb 13;9:100113. Epub 2022 Jan 13.

Behavioural Neuroscience Group, School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, 136 Jean-Jacques Lussier, Ottawa, On, K1N 6N5, Canada.

Coronary heart disease (CHD), of which myocardial infarction (MI) is a subtype, is the leading cause of death for women. Nonetheless, women remain neglected in CHD research, resulting in treatments and recommendations being primarily based on data collected in men. Pre-clinical and clinical studies have supported dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPAA) following cardiac arrest and MI to promote the development of mental health disorders (e. Read More

Compr Psychoneuroendocrinol 2020 Nov 13;4:100018. Epub 2020 Nov 13.

UMC Utrecht Brain Center, Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.

Objective: Military servicemen deployed to war zones are at increased risk of developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and successful adaptation to stress is important. Epigenetic alterations in response to trauma have been identified as mechanism of adaptation and may therefore predict deployment-related PTSD symptoms. To date, human studies of epigenetic marks for traumatic stress have been largely constrained by short-term analyses of one or two time points. Read More

Exp Neurol 2022 Jun 23:114154. Epub 2022 Jun 23.

Department of Anatomy, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, China. Electronic address:

Background: MicroRNA-124-3p (miR-124) plays an important role in neuroprotective functions in various neurological disorders, but whether miR-124 participates in the pathological progression of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) remains poorly understood.

Methods: In the present study, we assessed the level of neuroinflammation in the hippocampus of rats exposed to single-prolonged stress (SPS) by Western blot and immunofluorescence staining, while the effect of miR-124 on PTSD-like behaviors was evaluated by behavioral test.

Results: Our results showed that the level of miR-124 in the hippocampus of rats exposed to SPS was downregulated and that the upregulation of miR-124 could alleviate the PTSD-like behaviors of SPS rats. Read More

J Psychiatr Res 2022 Jun 9;152:219-224. Epub 2022 Jun 9.

Yale School of Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, United States.

Objective: Frontline healthcare workers (FHCWs) responding to the COVID-19 pandemic develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depressive disorder (MDD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) symptoms. Such symptoms are associated with burnout, occupational and relational difficulties. In the current study, we examined the prospective association between acute transdiagnostic COVID-19-related PTSD, MDD, and GAD symptoms at pandemic outset, and burnout and functional difficulties several months later in FHCWs in New York City. Read More

Psych J 2022 Jun 26. Epub 2022 Jun 26.

Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.

The study aimed to examine the indirect factors underlying the association between work-family conflict and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) in college teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Three potential indirect factors were examined: perceived stress, basic psychological needs, and rumination. A total of 274 college teachers were recruited. Read More

Acta Psychiatr Scand 2022 Jun 26. Epub 2022 Jun 26.

National Centre for Mental Health, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff, Wales.

Objective: To establish factors associated with ICD-11 post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD (CPTSD) in a large sample of adults with lived experience of psychiatric disorder and examine the psychiatric burden associated with the two disorders.

Methods: 1305 adults were recruited from the National Centre for Mental Health (NCMH) cohort. ICD-11 PTSD/CPTSD were assessed with the International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ). Read More

Gen Hosp Psychiatry 2022 Jun 16;78:9-13. Epub 2022 Jun 16.

Center for Psychotherapy Research, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.

Objective: Although traumatic stress including childhood maltreatment (CM) has a profound impact on mental health, its relation to pathological skin picking (PSP) has been understudied and results remain inconclusive. Likewise, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as the most typical sequelae of traumatic stress has hardly been investigated in those with PSP. The objective of our online case-control study was to shed further light on this issue. Read More

J Pak Med Assoc 2022 Jun;72(6):1239-1240

Section of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan.

Awake-craniotomy (AC) allows maximum tumour resection while reducing the risk of permanent postoperative neurological deficits without compromising the outcomes of the treatment. AC is a potentially stressful procedure for the patients, which may lead to long-term effects on patients' psychology, and may lead to post-traumatic stress. However, there is a scarcity of data suggesting actual association of any neuropsychiatric conditions after AC. Read More

Neurochem Res 2022 Jun 24. Epub 2022 Jun 24.

Department of Forensic Analytical Toxicology, School of Forensic Medicine, China Medical University, Shenyang, China.

Accumulating evidence suggests that the activation of nucleotide-binding domain and leucine-rich repeat protein-3 (NLRP3) inflammasome contributes to the pathophysiology of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Astrocytes, the homeostatic cells of the central nervous system are intimately involved into pathophysiology of various mental disorders including PTSD. We demonstrated previously that leptin exerts neuroprotection and ameliorates chronic sleep deprivation-induced depressive-like behaviours. Read More

Mol Psychiatry 2022 Jun 24. Epub 2022 Jun 24.

Department of Psychiatry, Gifu University Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu, Japan.

Reproductive behaviors are associated with risks for psychiatric disorders. Reproductive phenotypes are moderately heritable and have genetic overlaps with risks for psychiatric disorders. However, the genetic and causal relationships between anxiety-related disorders or specific anxiety disorders and reproductive phenotypes remain unknown. Read More

Public Health 2022 Jun 21;209:4-13. Epub 2022 Jun 21.

Chronobiology and Sleep Laboratory, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Sleep Disorders Center, Pulmonary Service, HCPA, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.

Objectives: This survey was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the sleep quality in victims and rescue team of the third deadliest nightclub fire in the world.

Study Design: A cross-sectional study.

Methods: Participants were victims and rescue workers exposed to a fire at a nightclub, which occurred in January 2013 in Southern Brazil. Read More

PLoS One 2022 24;17(6):e0270658. Epub 2022 Jun 24.

Faculty of Medicine University of Indonesia-Cipto Mangunkusumo National Hospital, Division of Reproductive Immunoendocrinology, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Jakarta, Indonesia.

Purpose: Many studies have evaluated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women's mental health and menstrual changes. However, most of these studies only included nonhospitalized COVID-19 patients, while information on hospitalized women is very limited. Thus, this study aimed to examine the mental health status and menstrual changes in hospitalized female COVID-19 patients. Read More

AIDS Care 2022 Jun 24:1-5. Epub 2022 Jun 24.

Xiangya School of Nursing, Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China.

The occurrence of HIV-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) compromises the physical and mental health of people living with HIV (PLWH). This study examined the psychological pathways of HIV-related PTSD symptoms considering the influence of rumination in PLWH of China. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Changsha, China. Read More

Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open 2022 Jun 20;10(6):e4387. Epub 2022 Jun 20.

the Departments of Orthopedics and Plastic Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass.

Major limb amputation is a devastating potential outcome of trauma, tumor, or disease. Much has been written about the physical, functional, economic, and psychological consequences of major limb loss. In contradistinction, considerably less has been written concerning the consequences of "minor" limb loss, specifically single partial digit amputations. Read More

Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022 Jun 19;19(12). Epub 2022 Jun 19.

Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, University La Statale, 20122 Milan, Italy.

Background: This review examined the effectiveness of behavioral interventions for adults with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) triggered by physical injury or medical trauma. It discusses implications in support of rehabilitation management for COVID-19 survivors diagnosed with PTSD.

Methods: This study adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines and the Interim Guidance from the Cochrane Rapid Reviews Methods Group. Read More

Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022 Jun 17;19(12). Epub 2022 Jun 17.

Department of Personality, Assessment and Psychological Treatments, Faculty of Psychology, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain.

Introduction: Most victims of sexual abuse have symptoms that may lead to post-traumatic stress disorder. This study aims to offer evidence-based psychological treatment to women who have been sexually abused earlier in life and currently have sequelae from that trauma. With this treatment, each of the women in the study will hopefully improve their overall quality of life and, more specifically, it is expected that post-traumatic stress symptoms will decrease, as found in recent studies, as well as strengthening their security, confidence, and coping with the situations they have experienced. Read More