Psychoanalysis and Trauma

The Relationship Between Childhood Traumatic Experiences and Bodily Distress Syndrome: The Mediating Role of Somatoform Dissociation

This research aimed to investigate the relationship between childhood traumatic experiences and bodily distress syndrome, and the mediating role of somatoform dissociation. A total of 241 individuals living in Iran aged 20-40 years (M = 26.41 years, SD = 6.30; 74.7% females) were selected by convenience sampling to participate online in the research in March 2023. They answered the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ-SF), the Bodily Distress Syndrome Checklist (BDS-25), and the Somatoform Dissociation Questionnaire (SDQ-20). The results of the structural equation modeling showed that the model had a good fit, and significant relationships were observed between childhood traumatic experiences and bodily distress syndrome, between childhood traumatic experiences and somatoform dissociation, and also between somatoform dissociation and bodily distress syndrome. The results indicated that somatoform dissociation partially mediates the relationship between childhood traumatic experiences and bodily distress syndrome. Furthermore, the prevalence of bodily distress syndrome was higher in the female than the male participants. The results thus highlight the role of childhood traumatic experiences and somatoform dissociation in creating bodily distress syndrome.

Importance of methodological considerations in documenting psychological trauma

The documentation of psychological trauma is obviously a challenge to clinicians while they are diving deep into remote events related to their clients or patients. The potential role of psychological trauma in the early developmental stages, and even the existence of adverse childhood experiences, is important to prove, yet it is difficult to do so. A diverse range of methods have been applied, all of which presumably benchmark a big therapeutic step; however, these enthusiastic methods frequently do not last for long. While hypnosis supporters, Freudian and Neo-Freudian disciples can be acute enough to enhance and uncover suppressed memories, modern psychiatry relies mostly on diversely structured interviews. Functional magnetic resonance and its related subtleties might help, but the questions that remain unanswered are numerous and confusing. Connecting early experiences with long-term memory while identifying psychological trauma its importance for the individual's growth trajectory; thus, it remains an intriguing issue.

The Neurophysiology Behind Trauma-Focused Therapy Modalities Used to Treat Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Across the Life Course: A Systematic Review

This review presents the current state of understanding of trauma-informed modalities in light of current research in neuroscience, analyzing which brain structures and processes are impacted by these modalities. Studies included in the present review met the inclusion criteria of 1) addressing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in a specific population, 2) treatment of PTSD using any of the evidence-based trauma-informed modalities considered in this review, and 3) presenting functional magnetic resonance imagery (fMRI) data, derived from BOLD signals and voxel-compression maps, of brain structures impacted by these trauma-informed modalities. Articles for this review were collated through PubMed and MEDLINE, using key terms in descending order, such as 'childhood trauma', 'adolescent trauma', and 'adulthood trauma', to 'PTSD', 'fMRI', and so on, depending on the modality in question. Based on these criteria and research methods, 37 studies remained for inclusion in the present review. Among a number of critical findings, this review demonstrates that eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) and mindfulness therapy effectively deactivate hindbrain regions implicated in the downregulation of autonomic nervous system (ANS) hyperarousal. This review also shows that trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) and EMDR activate the hippocampus, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC)-areas that are implicated in crucial cognitive, affective, and behavioral processes that aid trauma survivors in navigating their challenges.

Psychologists' Perspectives on the Psychological Suffering of Refugee Patients in Brazil

Worldwide there are 79.5 million displaced people, many of which face war, violence, tragic flights and struggles in host countries. Research shows augmented prevalence rates of mental disorders among refugees internationally, but little is known about refugee mental health in Latin American countries. Furthermore, only a few studies have taken into consideration the knowledge of clinical psychologists who treat refugee patients. The present study examines the experiences of 32 psychologists in Brazil regarding their refugee patients' psychological suffering and mental disorders. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in various locations in Brazil and analysed following a consensual qualitative research approach. Four clusters of refugee patients' suffering were synthesised: post-migration stressors, traumatic experiences, flight as life rupture, and the current situation in the country of origin. The most frequently described conditions in patients were anxiety and depression. However, the results also show that the use of manuals for the classification of mental disorders is contested among psychologists in Brazil. Most psychologists stressed patients' socio-political suffering and saw patients' symptoms as normal reactions to their experiences. There is a need to acknowledge the socio-political suffering of refugees in Brazil and foster their mental health by tackling current post-migration stressors such as discrimination.

Measuring Intimate Partner Violence and Traumatic Affect: Development of VITA, an Italian Scale

In a global context where the percentage of women who are victim of violence is still high (World Health Organization, 2013), intimate partner violence (IPV) can be considered the most widespread form of violence against women: in such cases violent attacks are perpetuated or threatened by a partner or ex-partner within an intimate relationship, which makes its recognition more difficult. IPV requires specific tools and, although the literature has highlighted the specific role played by some emotions (such as shame, guilt, and fear) that keep women experiencing this violence in a state of passivity and confusion, to date too little attention has been given to the construction of sound instruments able to detect post-traumatic affectivity. Such instruments could facilitate women who have suffered from IPV in recognizing it and in making the responses of women's health services more sensitive and structured. This study illustrates a sequential item development process to elaborate a new self-report instrument (VITA Scale: Intimate Violence and Traumatic Affects Scale) for assessing the intensity of post-traumatic affect derived from IPV. Within a psychodynamic perspective, the scale is characterized by four affects: fear, as a state of alarm elicited by the avoidance of the danger; terror, as a paralyzing state that hinders an active process of reaction; shame as a strong exposure to the other that disarms the individual and the guilt as a defensive dimension aiming at the restoring of the link with the abusive partner. Trough specific methodological steps, a 28-item set was selected and administered to a sample of 302 Italian women who declared themselves as having suffered from IPV. Explorative and confirmatory factor analysis, as well as correlations with well-established concurrent tools were computed in order to investigate its psychometric property. A factorial structure composed of four factors, consistent with theoretical scales and a good internal consistency (Cronbach's alphas from 0.80 to 0.90) emerged. The VITA Scale could be a useful tool for clinicians and researchers to investigate the intensity of the affective state of the woman suffered from IPV. It could be useful to better address the clinical practice and therapeutic intervention planning.