BACKGROUND The purpose of the research was to investigate the role of coping strategies with stress in posttraumatic growth in a group of medical rescue workers. MATERIAL AND METHODS The data on 80 medical rescuers who had experienced traumatic event in their worksite were analyzed. The age of the participants ranged from 21 to 67 years (M= 35.47; SD = 10.21). The Posttraumatic Growth Invento...

Debate has arisen over whether posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is most accurately conceptualized as representing a discrete clinical syndrome or an extreme reaction to traumatic life events. Recent taxometric research using predominantly adult samples appears to support a dimensional model of PTSD, raising questions about the utility of current psychiatric nosology which depicts PTSD as a ...

OBJECTIVE To examine the role of cortisol in posttraumatic stress symptomatology among mothers of children newly diagnosed with cancer. METHODS Mothers (N = 27) completed standardized measures of posttraumatic stress symptoms and provided salivary cortisol samples at the time of their child's cancer diagnosis and then monthly for 1 year. RESULTS Random effects regression analyses of 351 per...

More patients in the intensive care unit are surviving their critical illnesses because of advances in medical care. This change in survival has led to an increased awareness of the emotional consequences of being critically ill. Posttraumatic stress disorder has been identified in approximately 9% to 27% of critically ill patients compared with 7% of the general US population. Risk factors suc...

BACKGROUND The suffering people experience following a first episode of psychosis is great, and has been well-investigated. Conversely, potential positive outcomes following a first episode of psychosis have been under-investigated. One such outcome that may result from a first episode of psychosis is posttraumatic growth, or a positive aftermath following the trauma of a first psychotic episod...

BACKGROUND Asylum interviews within the asylum procedure are associated with psychological stress for traumatized asylum seekers. This study investigates the impact of asylum interviews on the mental health in a sample of 40 traumatized asylum seekers. The comparison group consisted of refugees (N=10) that had not been invited to an asylum interview. Additionally, the moderating effects of tria...

OBJECTIVE This study determined the severity of posttraumatic stress and depressive reactions among Nicaraguan adolescents after Hurricane Mitch and the relationship of these reactions to objective and subjective features of hurricane exposure, death of a family member, forced relocation, and thoughts of revenge. METHOD Six months after the hurricane, 158 adolescents from three differentially...

BACKGROUND This paper investigates risk factors for the development of posttraumatic stress symptoms in the different survivor groups involved in a technological disaster in Ghislenghien (Belgium). A gas explosion instantly killed five firefighters, one police officer and 18 other people. Moreover, 132 people were wounded among which many suffered severe burn injuries. METHODS In the framewor...

BACKGROUND The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-Criteria A1 and A2 for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have been discussed extensively, with several studies in adults or adolescents supporting the removal of Criterion A2. However, solid research in children is missing. OBJECTIVE This study evaluated the DSM-Criteria A1 and A2 in predicting posttraumatic stress ...

OBJECTIVE To assess the associations between specific pregnancy complications and posttraumatic stress disorder based on neurobiologic and behavioral characteristics, using Michigan Medicaid claims data from 1994-1996. METHODS Two thousand, two hundred nineteen female recipients of Michigan Medicaid who were of childbearing age had posttraumatic stress disorder on the basis of International C...