Syftet med studien var att synliggöra hur bildterapeuter arbetar med vuxna med PTSD, och eventuella skillnader och likheter i arbetssätt. Ett annat syfte var att få ökad kunskap om hur bildterapi bedrivs vid PTSD och vilka delar i behandlingen bildterapeuterna ser som verksamma. Frågeställningarna var: a) Arbetar bildterapeuter annorlunda vid PTSD än vid annan problematik? b)Vilka beståndsdelar i det bildterapeutiska arbetet ser bildterapeuten som särskilt verksamma vid PTSD? Metod för studien var semistrukturerade intervjuer med 6 bildterapeuter med erfarenhet av att arbeta med PTSD. Fem intervjuer gjordes via personliga möten och en via Skype. Intervjuerna spelades in digitalt, transkriberades och bearbetades därefter genom Tematisk Analys. Resultaten visar att bildterapeuterna håller fast vid sin terapeutiska metod oavsett problematik hos patienten de möter men att förhållningssättet förändras när diagnosen PTSD finns från terapistart. Vid bildterapi med PTSD-patienter ser bildterapeuterna flera avgörande faktorer, där bl.a. den skapade bilden utgör en viktig del, liksom att kreativiteten engagerar kroppsminnen och underlättar bearbetningen. I diskussionen presenteras tankar kring undersökningens utformning, bildterapins position som traumabehandlande metod och den brist på forskning som gör att bildterapin saknar erkännande. / The purpose of this study was to visualize how arttherapists work with adults suffering from PTSD, and how differences and similarities in the approaches are expressed. The aim was also to find out more about how arttherapy in PTSD is conducted as well as what aspects the therapists themselves consider to be active parts of the treatment. The issues were: a) Do arttherapists operate differently in PTSD than with other problems? b) What elements in the therapeutic work are especially effective with PTSD, according to the arttherapists? The method consists of semi-structured interviews with six artherapists, all with experience in meeting patients with PTSD. Five interviews were made through personal meetings and one via Skype. The interviews were recorded digitally, transcribed and then processed through Thematic Analysis. The results of the survey shows that arttherapists maintain their therapeutic method regardless of the patient’s problems but that their approaches change when PTSD is known from the start of the therapy. In arttherapy with PTSD arttherapists notice several crucial factors, e.g. the created image as an important part, as well as creativity that involves embodied memories and facilitate processing. The discussion presents thoughts on the survey design, arttherapy's position as treatment in PTSD and the lack of research that makes art therapy failing to receive recognition.

Complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) integrates symptoms common to victims of "complex" traumas, like childhood physical or sexual abuse, with the diagnostic criteria of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It was hypothesized that a history of witnessing interparental violence would be related to adulthood CPTSD symptoms. Results from hierarchical multiple regressions with 287 college students showed that witnessing interparental violence and experiencing child physical abuse predicted higher levels of CPTSD, PTSD, and depression symptoms. After controlling for child abuse, witnessing interparental violence predicted higher levels of traditional PTSD symptoms, but it did not predict an increase in overall CPTSD symptom severity or depression. Results suggest that the traditional PTSD construct, rather than CPTSD, best accounts for the symptoms of those who witnessed interparental violence in childhood.

The work group in charge of editing the trauma disorders in the upcoming edition of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) made several changes to the trauma criteria. Specifically, they simplified the criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and added a new trauma disorder called complex PTSD (CPTSD). To assess the new and newly defined trauma disorders, Litvin, Kaminski and Riggs developed a self-report trauma measure called the Complex Trauma Inventory (CTI). Although the reliability and validity of the CTI has been supported, no empirically-derived cutoff scores exist. We determined the optimal CTI cutoff scores using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses in a diverse sample of 82 participants who experienced trauma and were recruited from an inpatient trauma unit, student veteran organizations, and university classrooms. We used the Clinician-Administered Interview for Trauma Disorders (CAIT) to diagnose the presence of an ICD-11 trauma disorder, and we correlated the results of the CAIT with the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for the DSM-5 to establish the convergent validity of the CAIT, r = .945, p < .001. For the ROC analyses, the CTI was used as the index test and the CAIT was used as the criterion test. The area under the curve (AUC) analyses indicated good to excellent effect sizes, AUC = .879 to .904. We identified two sets of cutoff scores for the CTI: the first set prioritized the sensitivity of the CTI scores and ranged from .884 to .962; the second set prioritized the specificity of the CTI scores and the false-positive scores (1-specificity) ranged from .054 to .143. Our study enhanced the utility of the CTI and addressed another need in the trauma field by developing a structured clinical interview (CAIT) that can be used to diagnose the ICD-11 trauma disorders.

The World Health Organization has proposed for the ICD-11 a differentiation of symptoms to distinguish separate disorders of PTSD and complex PTSD (CPTSD), rather than one disorder of PTSD as in the current DSM-5. In addition, the accuracy and usefulness of the borderline personality disorder (BPD) diagnosis has been debated for years due to this history of trauma often associated with the diagnosis. New instruments have been developed to assess CPTSD, allowing needed research to expand our understanding of CPTSD and how it may differ from PTSD. The present study explored the relationships between the three different patterns of symptom expression associated with these disorders and various coping strategies in a sample of trauma survivors. A canonical correlation analysis (CCA) showed a significant relationship between trauma symptoms and coping strategies and suggested that individuals with higher borderline personality disorder symptoms, and subsequently complex PTSD and PTSD symptoms, were more likely to cope using avoidant coping strategies- behavioral disengagement, denial, and substance use. This finding was similar to previous research findings that suggested high rates of negative psychological outcomes for adults cognitive and behavioral avoidant coping strategies. Contributions from other coping techniques, such as restraint and venting, also showed significant, but not as strong relationships to higher psychological symptoms.

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This qualitative study explores the experiences of women whose military partners have been diagnosed with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. I sought to understand the influences that PTSD had on family and couple relationships and whether resiliency was a factor in the experiences of the women. Six women were interviewed for this qualitative study. From these interviews, 10 themes were developed: 1. Women’s recognition of partner’s PTSD symptoms was not immediate; 2. Women blamed themselves for their partner’s changed behaviour; 3. PTSD caused significant stress to the couple relationship; 4. PTSD affected the family unit; 5. Women bore the burden and took on more responsibility; 6. Women forsake their own needs (personal sacrifice); 7. Women experienced intense negative emotions; 8. Women’s health and well-being was negatively impacted by partners’ PTSD; 9. Women gained new insights and no longer considered themselves responsible for their partner’s illness; 10. Women demonstrated resilience and coping. / October 2016

Fenomenet sekundär traumatisering är främst utforskat i USA, och är ett relativt okänt begrepp i Sverige. Denna studie undersöker om sekundär traumatisering förekommer bland svenska professionella som möter traumatiserade individer i sitt arbete. Det empiriska underlaget består av fyra kvalitativa intervjuer. Intervjupersonerna valdes ut genom snöbolls/kedjeurval respektive subjektivt urval. Kvalitativ innehållsanalys användes som analysmetod av det empiriska materialet. Resultatet visar att det förekommer symtom som kan förklaras som sekundär traumatisering men är svårt att fastställa eftersom begreppet är komplext och saknar  tydliga gränser mellan redan vedertagna liknande fenomen som utbrändhet och motöverföring. Oavsett hur fenomenet rubriceras visar resultatet att det finns ett problem där professionella inte har nog med kunskap om vilka risker detta fält kan medföra och hur det påverkar det professionella- och inte minst det privata välbefinnandet. De främsta organisatoriska skyddsfaktorerna ansågs vara handledning, kollegialt stöd och tid för reflektion. Socialt stöd från nära relationer nämnes som en privat skyddsfaktor. Copingstrategier som nämnes var fysisk aktivitet, positivt förhållningssätt och bibehålla ett socialt liv. Personlig terapi framfördes som ett förslag till egenvård.

Faculty of Humanities School of Human and Community Development(phychology) 9402620f hmasitha@yahoo.com / Aims The study was based on the premise that the many children in South Africa had been subjected to a number of violent crimes. It was, therefore, assumed that these children would react negatively to the exposure to traumatic events. The researcher thus set out to determine the degree to which crime and other traumatic events were affecting children, particularly those living in the black townships. It was hypothesized that due to the level of violence and other traumatic events occurring in the townships on the one hand and children’s vulnerability on the other, there would be a heightened prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder. Method 797 children from 18 schools in Sebokeng Township, south of Johannesburg, were administered questionnaires to assess the presence of PTSD. While children were selected on the basis of age and availability, selection of schools was random. Children were administered the questionnaires in groups in their classrooms. The researcher, together with an aide was present in the administration in order to help children understand and answer the questions. Findings The study revealed a higher presence and prevalence of PTSD. Significant proportion of children reported to have been suffering from all PTSD criterion groups. Although there were gender differences in the proportion of children who met various PTSD criterion groups, no gender differences existed in the scores obtained by the children. Age was shown to have no relation to PTSD. Using the ANOVA, significant differences existed across schools.