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Karnick A, Caulfield NM, Buerke M, Stanley I, Capron D, Vujanovic A. Clinical and psychological implications of post-traumatic stress in firefighters: a moderated network study. Cogn Behav Ther 2024; 53:171-189. [PMID: 37960947 DOI: 10.1080/16506073.2023.2282374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Firefighters are frequently exposed to trauma and may experience a unique symptom presentation of post-traumatic stress. Prior research has identified stronger associations between certain post-traumatic stress symptoms (e.g. detachment, intrusions, physiological reactivity) using network analysis. However, little is known about the effects of symptom severity and emergency work-related trauma on symptom networks. The present study probed the network structure of post-traumatic stress symptoms in trauma-exposed firefighters (N = 871) to model the dynamic interactions of psychological symptoms. We developed a network of post-traumatic stress symptoms and a network of post-traumatic stress with clinical covariates and used moderated network modelling to assess the effects of having PTSD and experiencing work-related trauma on the networks. We identified high edge correlations between several nodes (e.g. startle/hypervigilance, internal/external cue avoidance, detachment/lack of interest) and high centrality of detachment, external cue avoidance, and flashbacks. Additionally, having PTSD moderated positive network associations between risk-taking and suicidality and between distorted blame and post-traumatic cognitions. Work-related trauma moderated negative associations between appetite gain and loss and appetite loss and suicidality. Findings suggest that targeting specific symptoms of detachment, external cue avoidance, and flashbacks could allow for the development of effective trauma-informed interventions for these populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandr Karnick
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, USA
| | | | | | - Ian Stanley
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
- Center for COMBAT Research, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Daniel Capron
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, USA
| | - Anka Vujanovic
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
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Woud ML, Wittekind CE, Würtz F. Cognitive Bias Modification bei Symptomen der Posttraumatischen Belastungsstörung. VERHALTENSTHERAPIE 2022. [DOI: 10.1159/000524709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Kognitive Modelle der Posttraumatischen Belastungsstörung (PTBS) gehen davon aus, dass eine dysfunktionale Informationsverarbeitung in den Bereichen Aufmerksamkeit, Interpretation, Bewertung und Gedächtnis einen wichtigen Faktor für das Auftreten und die Aufrechterhaltung der PTBS darstellt. Parallel zeigen verschiedenste Entwicklungen in der klinisch-experimentellen Forschung, dass es möglich sein könnte, solche kognitiven Verzerrungen mithilfe von Cognitive Bias Modification (CBM)-Trainings zu modifizieren. In diesem Beitrag geben wir einen narrativen Überblick über die CBM-Forschung im Kontext von Trauma und PTBS, im experimentellen sowie klinisch-angewandten Bereich. Zudem werden Herausforderungen und neue Forschungslinien für die CBM-Forschung im Kontext der PTBS vorgestellt und diskutiert.
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Kung YW, Su YJ, Chen SH. Psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Centrality of Event Scale across multiple trauma-exposed Taiwanese samples. J Trauma Stress 2022; 35:813-826. [PMID: 35182441 DOI: 10.1002/jts.22788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Revised: 10/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The widely used Centrality of Event Scale (CES) measures the extent that a traumatic event serves as a central component of self-identity, a reference point, and a turning point in an individual's life story. The present study aimed to develop a Chinese version of the CES and assess its reliability, criterion validity, and factor structure. Data were collected from three samples of trauma-exposed Taiwanese individuals (N = 939), including 420 earthquake survivors, 300 trauma-exposed community adults, and 219 trauma-exposed undergraduate students. We conducted an exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis and compared the resulting models with a one-factor model and the originally proposed model. The results indicated that a new three-factor model, S-Bχ2 (167, N = 519) = 687.01, p < .001, CFI = .95, IFI = .95, NNFI = .94, RMSEA = .078, SRMR = .047, might better represent the construct compared to the one-factor or originally proposed model. Furthermore, the Chinese CES demonstrated excellent internal consistency, Cronbach's αs = .89-.94; adequate 1-month reliability, rs = .54-.64, and 6-month temporal stability, rs = .52-.67; and good concurrent and predictive validity. The findings indicate that the Chinese version of the CES demonstrates good psychometric properties with a three-factor structure, and it could be used to assess event centrality among nonclinical trauma-exposed Taiwanese adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Wen Kung
- Department of Psychology, Fo Guang University, Yilan, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Jen Su
- Graduate Institute of Behavioral Sciences, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.,Department of Psychiatry, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Sue-Huei Chen
- Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
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The effects of computerised metacognitive cognitive bias modification training on the development of adaptive metacognitive beliefs and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms. J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry 2022; 75:101716. [PMID: 34968840 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbtep.2021.101716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Revised: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 12/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Maladaptive metacognitive beliefs are associated with the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms following trauma, however it remains unclear whether training people to adopt healthy metacognitive beliefs helps to protect against the development of PTSD symptoms. We developed and tested a new cognitive bias modification training protocol (CBMMetacog) that aimed to prevent analogue PTSD by training people to adopt healthy metacognitive beliefs prior to watching a distressing film. METHODS Participants (N = 135) received CBMMetacog or a control CBM training and then watched a trauma film. We assessed participants' metacognitive appraisal style/beliefs, analogue PTSD symptoms, including intrusions and meta-awareness of their intrusions. RESULTS CBMMetacog led participants to adopt healthier metacognitive beliefs relative to the control training. Importantly, CBMMetacog participants reported fewer film intrusions over a 7-day period compared to the control group. CBMMetacog did not increase participants' meta-awareness of their intrusions. LIMITATIONS As this was the first study to manipulate metacognitive beliefs related to an analogue trauma via CBM, we chose to use a healthy participant sample. Therefore, further research is needed before these results can be generalised to clinical samples. CONCLUSIONS Overall, these results suggest that training people to adopt healthy metacognitive beliefs, prior to trauma exposure, may help reduce vulnerability to PTSD.
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Vermeulen M, Smits D, Claes L, Gandhi A, Raes F, Krans J. The Dutch 20 Item Centrality of Event Scale. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.1027/1015-5759/a000704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Abstract. Event centrality is defined as the extent to which a memory of a traumatic event forms a reference point for people’s identity and attribution of meaning to other experiences in their life. Event centrality is typically measured with the Centrality of Event Scale (CES; Berntsen & Rubin, 2006 ). The present study’s first aim was to investigate the underlying factor structure and construct validity of the Dutch 20-item CES (CES-20) in undergraduates ( N = 1,091). The second aim was to test whether the CES-20 could prospectively predict posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms four months later. The data supported a one-factor structure of the CES with a high internal consistency (α = .95), which is not in line with the theoretical model of event centrality but aligns with previous empirical research. Furthermore, high construct validity was evidenced by positive and significant relations between the CES and PTSD symptoms, depressive symptoms, DSM-5 trauma A criterion, and the number of experienced negative life events. Event centrality was not a significant predictor of PTSD symptoms four months later when controlling for PTSD symptoms at time 1, which questions the prospective relation between event centrality and later PTSD symptoms for those events.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dirk Smits
- Behavior, Health and Psychopathology, KU Leuven, Belgium
- Odisee, University of Applied Sciences, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Laurence Claes
- Behavior, Health and Psychopathology, KU Leuven, Belgium
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (CAPRI), University of Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Amarendra Gandhi
- L-BioStat, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, KU Leuven, Belgium
- Knowledge Center, SD Worx, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Filip Raes
- Behavior, Health and Psychopathology, KU Leuven, Belgium
| | - Julie Krans
- Behavior, Health and Psychopathology, KU Leuven, Belgium
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Pro Persona Overwaal Centre for Anxiety, OCD and PTSD, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Herzog P, Barth C, Rief W, Brakemeier EL, Kube T. How Expectations Shape the Formation of Intrusive Memories: An Experimental Study Using the Trauma Film Paradigm. COGNITIVE THERAPY AND RESEARCH 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10608-022-10290-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Although intrusions are the hallmark symptom of posttraumatic stress disorder, there is still limited knowledge about the processes that contribute to the development of intrusions. Here, we used the well-established trauma film paradigm (TFP) to investigate how expectations about the intensity and controllability of intrusions influence their occurrence.
Methods
90 healthy participants underwent the TFP before they were randomized to one of three conditions manipulating their expectations about intrusions: positive expectations group; negative expectations group; control group. The primary outcome was the frequency and severity of intrusive memories as assessed with an intrusion diary over seven days.
Results
The TFP was well implemented, as indicated by significant post-film anxiety and a substantial number of intrusions reported for the subsequent week. The three groups did not differ in their expectations about intrusions and, relatedly, in their experience of intrusions. A mediation analysis revealed that the influence of post-film anxiety on intrusive memories was fully mediated by expectations.
Conclusions
Despite the failure of the expectation manipulation, the results of the mediation analysis support the hypothesis that post-film expectations influence the formation of intrusive memories, suggesting that intrusions may result from maladaptive dynamics between emotional and cognitive processes following trauma(like) experiences.
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Yang X, Xu Y, Tan R, Zhou X. Event centrality and post-traumatic stress symptoms among college students during the COVID-19 pandemic: the roles of attention to negative information, catastrophizing, and rumination. Eur J Psychotraumatol 2022; 13:2078563. [PMID: 35695844 PMCID: PMC9176333 DOI: 10.1080/20008198.2022.2078563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected college students' mental health and caused post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). Event centrality is thought to play a key role in the development of PTSS, but it is not yet clear by what mechanism. Theoretically, event centrality may affect the retrieval of traumatic memories and further prompt post-traumatic cognitions to understand events, and so may in turn be associated with PTSS in college students. However, few empirical studies have examined the mediating role of post-traumatic cognitions in the relationship between event centrality and PTSS, especially among college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. OBJECTIVES The objective of this study was to examine the mediating roles of post-traumatic cognitive factors (e.g. attention to negative information, catastrophizing, and rumination) in the relationship between event centrality and PTSS among college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS We recruited 1153 college students who completed the pandemic experiences scale, the centrality of event scale, the attention to positive and negative information scale, the cognitive emotion regulation questionnaire, and the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 during the COVID-19 pandemic in May 2020. RESULTS In this sample of college students, event centrality directly predicted PTSS, and PTSS was also indirectly predicted by event centrality through attention to negative information, catastrophizing, and rumination. CONCLUSIONS These findings support the existing literature on the relationship between event centrality, proposed cognitive variables, and PTSS, and shed light on the mechanisms underlying PTSS. Our findings also highlight the importance and applicability of targeted cognitive interventions for PTSS in college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. HIGHLIGHTS The COVID-19 pandemic has caused post-traumatic stress symptoms among college students.Event centrality is a risk factor of post-traumatic stress symptoms among college students during the COVID-19 pandemic.Attention to negative information, catastrophizing and rumination mediate the relationship between event centrality and post-traumatic stress symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xima Yang
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Yongyong Xu
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Ruyue Tan
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao Zhou
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
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Johanßen H, Schoofs N, Kliegl R, Bermpohl F, Ülsmann D, Schulte-Herbrüggen O, Priebe K. Negative Posttraumatic Cognitions Color the Pathway from Event Centrality to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms. COGNITIVE THERAPY AND RESEARCH 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10608-021-10266-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Background
The centrality of an event indicates the extent to which it becomes a core part of identity and life story. Event centrality (EC) has been shown to have a strong relationship with PTSD symptoms, which seems to be indirectly influenced by negative posttraumatic cognitions (PTC). However, research on this potential mediation and its causal links particularly with clinical samples is limited and essential to derive treatment implications.
Methods
Pre- and posttreatment data of 103 day-unit patients with PTSD was examined using mediation analyses and structural equation modeling.
Results
Negative PTC mediated the relationship between EC and PTSD symptoms, partially pre- and completely posttreatment. Within extended longitudinal analyses causal directions of the mediation pathways were not adequately interpretable due to unexpected suppression effects.
Conclusions
The results suggest that EC may only have an indirect effect on PTSD symptoms through negative PTC. Thus, decreasing negative PTC which are connected to centralized events might be a key element for PTSD treatment. Thereby, transforming the cognitions’ valence to more positive and constructive forms could be crucial rather than mere decentralization. Although suppression effects limited causal inferences, they do not contradict the mediation and further indicate potential interactional terms and a transformation of EC.
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Using Cognitive Bias Modification-Appraisal Training to Manipulate Appraisals about the Self and the World in Analog Trauma. COGNITIVE THERAPY AND RESEARCH 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10608-021-10257-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Dysfunctional appraisals are a key mechanism in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Experimental manipulations of appraisals via Cognitive Bias Modification-Appraisal (CBM-App) training targeting cognitions related to the ‘self’ has shown to affect analog trauma symptoms. The present study aimed to conceptually replicate and extend previous findings by comparing a newly developed ‘world’ to the original ‘self’ training, and investigate the moderating role of locus of control (LOC) on intrusions.
Methods
Healthy participants (N = 173) were exposed to distressing films as an analog trauma induction. Next, participants received positive or negative CBM-App, targeting either self- or world-relevant appraisals. Dysfunctional appraisals and LOC were assessed pre- and post-training. During the week after the laboratory session, participants recorded their intrusions and associated distress in a diary. One week later, trauma-relevant symptomatology was assessed.
Results
Positive compared to negative CBM-App induced training-congruent appraisals, independent of the trained cognition (self vs. world). However, there was no effect on analog trauma symptoms and LOC did not moderate the training’s effect.
Conclusions
Our results underline the validity of CBM-App as a method to experimentally manipulate appraisals. However, since we did not fully replicate previous findings further research on mechanisms associated with transfer effects is warranted.
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Rahman N, Brown AD. Mental Time Travel in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Current Gaps and Future Directions. Front Psychol 2021; 12:624707. [PMID: 33767647 PMCID: PMC7985348 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.624707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2020] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Nadia Rahman
- Department of Psychology, The New School for Social Research, New York, NY, United States
| | - Adam D. Brown
- Department of Psychology, The New School for Social Research, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
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Woud ML, Blackwell SE, Shkreli L, Würtz F, Cwik JC, Margraf J, Holmes EA, Steudte-Schmiedgen S, Herpertz S, Kessler H. The Effects of Modifying Dysfunctional Appraisals in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Using a Form of Cognitive Bias Modification: Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial in an Inpatient Setting. PSYCHOTHERAPY AND PSYCHOSOMATICS 2021; 90:386-402. [PMID: 33621970 DOI: 10.1159/000514166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Dysfunctional appraisals about traumatic events and their sequelae are a key mechanism in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Experimental studies have shown that a computerized cognitive training, cognitive bias modification for appraisals (CBM-APP), can modify dysfunctional appraisals and reduce analogue trauma symptoms amongst healthy and subclinical volunteers. OBJECTIVE We aimed to test whether CBM-APP could reduce dysfunctional appraisals related to trauma reactions in PTSD patients, and whether this would lead to improvements in PTSD symptoms. METHODS We compared CBM-APP to sham training in a parallel-arm proof-of-principle double-blind randomized controlled trial amongst 80 PTSD patients admitted to an inpatient clinic. Both arms comprised a training schedule of 8 sessions over a 2-week period and were completed as an adjunct to the standard treatment programme. RESULTS In intention-to-treat analyses, participants receiving CBM-APP showed a greater reduction in dysfunctional appraisals on a scenario task from pre- to posttraining (primary outcome) assessments, compared to those receiving sham training (d = 1.30, 95% CI 0.82-1.80), with between-group differences also found on the Posttraumatic Cognitions Inventory (PTCI; d = 0.85, 95% CI 0.39-1.32) and the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5; d = 0.68, 95% CI 0.23-1.14), but not for long-term cortisol concentrations (d = 0.25, 95% CI -0.28 to 0.78). Reductions in dysfunctional appraisals assessed via the scenario task correlated with reductions on the PTCI, PCL-5, and hair cortisol concentrations from pre- to posttraining time points. CONCLUSIONS Results support dysfunctional appraisals as a modifiable cognitive mechanism, and that their proximal modification transfers to downstream PTSD symptoms. These findings could open new avenues for improving present therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcella L Woud
- Mental Health Research and Treatment Center, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bochum, Germany,
| | - Simon E Blackwell
- Mental Health Research and Treatment Center, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Lorika Shkreli
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Felix Würtz
- Mental Health Research and Treatment Center, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Jan Christopher Cwik
- Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Department of Human Sciences, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Jürgen Margraf
- Mental Health Research and Treatment Center, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Emily A Holmes
- Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Psychology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Susann Steudte-Schmiedgen
- Department of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Stephan Herpertz
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, LWL University Hospital, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Henrik Kessler
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, LWL University Hospital, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bochum, Germany
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Grau PP, Larsen SE, Lancaster SL, Garnier-Villarreal M, Wetterneck CT. Change in Event Centrality and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms During Intensive Treatment. J Trauma Stress 2021; 34:116-123. [PMID: 32521088 DOI: 10.1002/jts.22541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Revised: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Event centrality, defined as the extent to which a traumatic event becomes a core component of a person's identity (Berntsen & Rubin, 2006), is both a correlate and predictor of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, over and above event severity. These findings suggest that decreasing the perceived centrality of a traumatic event to one's identity might result in decreases in PTSD symptom severity. To date, few studies have examined how centrality is affected by PTSD treatment. The present study tested the hypotheses that change in centrality would be associated with both change in PTSD symptom severity and discharge PTSD symptom severity in an exposure-based PTSD partial hospitalization program (N = 132; 86.0% White; 85.2% female; M age = 36 years). At discharge (i.e., after approximately 6 weeks of treatment), both PTSD symptoms and centrality had significantly decreased, ds = .70 and .98, respectively, with large effect sizes. Decreases in Centrality of Events Scale (CES) scores at posttreatment, baseline CES scores, and baseline PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) scores were associated with change (i.e., decrease) in PCL-5 scores, p < .001, as well as with posttreatment PCL-5 scores, p < .001. Decreases in CES scores over time, baseline CES scores, and baseline PCL-5 scores explained 31% of the variance in PCL-5 change and 34% of the variance in posttreatment PCL-5 scores. The results indicate the potential importance of decreasing the centrality of a traumatic event in PTSD treatment and recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter P Grau
- Department of Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Sadie E Larsen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.,Milwaukee VA Medical Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
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Pacella-LaBarbara M, Larsen SE, Jaramillo S, Suffoletto B, Callaway C. Event centrality following treatment for physical injury in the emergency department: Associations with posttraumatic outcomes. Gen Hosp Psychiatry 2020; 67:77-82. [PMID: 33065405 PMCID: PMC7722005 DOI: 10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2020.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Revised: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The relationship between event centrality (i.e., the degree to which a stressful event is integrated into one's identity) and acute posttraumatic outcomes after relatively minor physical injury is unknown. We examined pre-injury and Emergency Department (ED) predictors of event centrality at 6-weeks post-injury, and whether event centrality is uniquely associated with 6-week posttraumatic outcomes. METHODS In the EDs of two Level I trauma centers, 149 patients completed surveys regarding demographic, psychological and injury-related factors within 24 h post-injury; 84 patients (51% male) completed 6-week surveys of event centrality, posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and trauma-specific QOL (T-QoL). Data were analyzed using linear regression modeling. RESULTS At least 20% of patients agreed or strongly agreed that the injury changed their life. Hospitalization status and peritraumatic dissociation were significant predictors of event centrality at 6-weeks. After controlling for demographics, ED-related factors and pre-injury PTSS, event centrality was uniquely associated with PTSS (p < .001) and T-QOL (p < .001) at 6 weeks. CONCLUSION Over and above the effects of the injury itself, event centrality conveyed important information for posttraumatic outcomes at 6 weeks post-injury. The centrality scale is brief and feasible to administer; future work is needed to determine the predictive utility of event centrality on post-injury outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Pacella-LaBarbara
- Clement J Zablocki VA Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry, Medical College of Wisconsin, Behavioral Health Center, 1155 North Mayfair Road, Wauwatosa, WI 53226, United States of America
| | - Sadie E Larsen
- Clement J Zablocki VA Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry, Medical College of Wisconsin, Behavioral Health Center, 1155 North Mayfair Road, Wauwatosa, WI 53226, United States of America.
| | - Stephany Jaramillo
- Clement J Zablocki VA Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry, Medical College of Wisconsin, Behavioral Health Center, 1155 North Mayfair Road, Wauwatosa, WI 53226, United States of America
| | - Brian Suffoletto
- Clement J Zablocki VA Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry, Medical College of Wisconsin, Behavioral Health Center, 1155 North Mayfair Road, Wauwatosa, WI 53226, United States of America
| | - Clifton Callaway
- Clement J Zablocki VA Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry, Medical College of Wisconsin, Behavioral Health Center, 1155 North Mayfair Road, Wauwatosa, WI 53226, United States of America
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15
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McNally RJ, Woud ML. Innovations in the Study of Appraisals and PTSD: A Commentary. COGNITIVE THERAPY AND RESEARCH 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10608-018-09995-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
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16
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Woud ML, Kleim B, Cwik JC. Editorial for the Special Issue on Negative Appraisals in Trauma: Current Status and Future Directions for Research. COGNITIVE THERAPY AND RESEARCH 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10608-018-09992-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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