Information-processing studies have shown an attentional bias (AB) towards threat cues in individuals with anxiety disorders. Research has consistently shown that AB to threat may play a causal role in the development and maintenance of anxiety disorders. Recent empirical evidence has demonstrated support for Attention Retraining (AR) to modify AB to threat, resulting in reductions of anxiety. Currently, AR approaches have not been systematically tested in individuals with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of a computer-based attention retraining (CBAR) treatment for clinical levels of PTSD using a modified dot-probe paradigm. A single-case time-series design was employed with a treatment and post-treatment period, following baseline. Results indicated significant reductions in trauma-related symptoms, attention to threat cues, state anxiety and depression, along with a significant increase in coping self-efficacy. AB change for the group was not significant. A significant relationship between AB change and PTSD symptoms was found. The results were discussed from the standpoint of the viability of AR for trauma. / Master of Science

African Americans have reported higher levels of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms than their Caucasian counterparts in some studies. Variables hypothesized to contribute to differential levels of PTSD symptoms between African Americans and Caucasians that have not been adequately explored in these studies include ethnicity, resource loss, religious coping, and social support. The purpose of this study was to test portions of a model that characterizes the relationship between traumatic events and PTSD symptoms in African Americans and Caucasians. It was hypothesized that ethnicity, perceived ethnic identity, socioeconomic status (SES), resource loss, religious coping, family support, and professional support would be significant predictors of PTSD symptoms. Data from 59 African American children and adolescents, aged 4 to 20, and 54 of their Caucasian counterparts from the Residential Fire Project were used to examine the role of ethnicity, SES, resource loss, religious coping, family support, and professional support in the development of PTSD symptoms. Data from 86 African Americans and 417 Caucasians, aged 15 to 21 from the National Comorbidity Survey (NCS), were used to examine the role of ethnicity, perceived ethnic identity, SES, religious coping, family support, mental healthcare, and non-mental healthcare in the development of PTSD symptoms. Participants in the Fire Project were interviewed individually, and completed self-report questionnaires. Results indicated that only resource loss factors contributed significantly to the prediction of variance in PTSD symptoms. Participants in the NCS were also interviewed individually. Results indicated that mental healthcare, family support, SES, ethnicity, and religious coping contributed significantly to the prediction of variance in PTSD symptoms in this sample. Findings are discussed within a psychosocial model. / Master of Science

Violent crime and trauma are very common within the society and students at the technikon are as exposed to these traumatic situations that characterize the broader national context as anybody. The purpose of this study was to explore therapeutic intervention techniques that can be used by the educational psychologist in assisting students suffering from post-traumatic stress. The phenomena of post-traumatic stress and post-traumatic stress disorder were studied with reference to the DSM IV classification and description. Traumatic events and stressors among students were outlined. A case study was conducted with a subject selected at the technikon who was suffering from post-traumatic stress due to earlier physical abuse and violence she experienced at home. The Trauma-100-Questionnaire was used to investigate the extent of the trauma and the results showed that the subject was involved with negative self-talk and employed ego defence mechanisms. An analysis of the subject's problem was done through the relations theory and various techniques from the literature study were implemented in therapy with the subject. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Guidance and Counselling)

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2001 / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the most recognised mental disorder stemming from severe psychological trauma. One of the differential diagnoses of post-traumatic stress disorder, amongst others, is obsessive-compulsive disorder (OGD). These two disorders overlap at some point in terms of symptomatology. More specifically, both are characterized by recurrent intrusive thoughts. It has been hypothesized that trauma may also be a significant source of OGD development. OGD and PTSD are disorders that present in adulthood, as well as in childhood and adolescence. It is shown that PTSD and OGD can present comorbidly in adulthood and it is theorized that it may also be the case in childhood and adolescence. Evidence of OGD developing in the context of trauma and theories of how this might have happened are presented. It is shown how complicated it is to distinguish between OGD developing in the wake of trauma and PTSD and the importance of such a distinction. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Post-traumatiese Stresversteurig (PTSD) is een van die mees erkende sielkundigeversteurings wat ontwikkel na die blootstelling aan sielkundige trauma. Obsessiewe-kompulsieweversteuring (OGD) is, onder andere, een van die differensiële diagnoses van PTSD. Die twee versteurings oorvleuel ten opsigte van simptomalogie. Meer spesifiek word beide gekenmerk deur herhalende indringende gedagtes. Daar word tans gehipotiseer dat trauma nie net 'n rol in die ontwikkeling van PTSD speel nie maar ook 'n oorsaaklike rol het in die ontwikkeling van OGD. OGD en PTSD is versteurings wat kan voorkom tydens volwassenheid, asook tydens die kinderjare en adolessensie. Daar word bewys gedoen van PTSD en OGD wat saam voorkom gedurende volwassenheid en daar word geteoretiseer dat dit ook die geval mag wees tydens die kinderjare en adolessensie. Bewys word gelewer van OGD wat ontwikkel na blootstelling aan trauma en teorië ten opsigte van die ontwikkeling word aangebied. Die onderskeid tussen OGD wat na trauma blootstelling ontwikkel en PTSD is ingewikkeld, dog is die onderskeid baie belangrik in vele opsigte.

Psychologists' diagnostic choices when the specificity of child sexual abuse in a clinical vignette is varied was examined. The degree to which Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) was judged to be a viable diagnostic choice among a set of diagnoses was analyzed under conditions with sexual abuse stated, implied, not stated, and excluded. PTSD was rated as more likely for the stated and implied sexual abuse vignettes than for the not stated and excluded vignettes.

Although men are more likely to experience traumatic events, the risk of developing Posttraumatic Stress Disorder is at least twice as high in women than in men after exposure to comparable traumas. These findings are more consistent in response to some types of trauma (e.g., assaultive violence) than others (e.g., natural disaster). There has been very little systematic study of the sources of these gender differences. This study began to explore the contribution of gender-related beliefs about appropriate responses to trauma by investigating the impact of victim sex and trauma type as well as participant sex, sex-role orientation, and personal trauma history on attitudes towards victims. Ninety-three male and 179 female students were administered the Bem Sex Role Inventory, the Trauma History Questionnaire, and a vignette measure of attitudes towards victims. Participants evaluated male victims significantly less favorably than female victims, and females had more positive attitudes towards victims than males. Feminine sex-typed and androgynous women rated victims more favorably than masculine sex-typed men and women. The interaction between sex of victim and trauma type was not significant. A positive relation was observed between personal trauma exposure and attitudes towards male victims among male participants only. These findings contribute towards a theoretical understanding of gender and PTSD, and also have important clinical applications.

The purpose of this study was to compare pre- and post-treatment differences in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in male adolescents with conduct disorder. The Children's PTSD Inventory and the PTSD Reaction Index were used to diagnose PTSD and determine trauma type (Type I single trauma or Type II recurring trauma). Pre- and post-treatment measures included the PTSD Reaction Index, the Children's Depression Inventory, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory, the Dissociative Experiences Scale, and the Youth Self-Report. The six-week, biweekly group treatment included education, exposure, and cognitive elements. Primary hypotheses that the abused group would statistically differ from the non-abused group in terms of pre- and post-treatment levels of avoidance, dissociation, anger/aggression, self-destructiveness, social problems, and overall levels of PTSD symptoms, were not confirmed. Overall, group therapy participants experienced statistically significant decreases in PTSD symptoms over the course of therapy. Results are discussed in light of clinical implications, recommended cautions given the lack of a robust control group, and directions for future research.

This study aimed to determine if Junior Eysenck Personality Inventory (JEPI) scores would differentiate between youth with and without PTSD. More specifically, the study compared JEPI Neuroticism and Extraversion scores across youth with PTSD, trauma exposed youth without PTSD, and non-traumatized youth using a three group case control design. The Children’s PTSD Inventory and unstructured DSM-IV based diagnostic interviews were utilized to determine diagnostic status. Given that prior research has indicated a relationship between neuroticism and internalizing disorders, and as PTSD is primarily an internalizing disorder, it was expected that youth with PTSD would have higher JEPI Neuroticism scores relative to trauma exposed youth without PTSD or case controls. It was further expected that JEPI Neuroticism scores of trauma exposed youth without PTSD and control subjects would not significantly differ. Finally, it was expected that JEPI Extraversion scores would not significantly differ between groups. As expected, youth with PTSD had significantly higher Neuroticism scores relative to traumatized youth without PTSD and controls. The Neuroticism scores of trauma exposed youth without PTSD and controls did not significantly differ. There were no significant differences between groups in regard to Extraversion scores. Implications for research and practice were considered.

Previous studies have suggested that mechanisms for neural compensation involve a reorganisation to right hemisphere processing in people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and are associated with functional alterations in the capacity for behavioural flexibility. However, research has not established a direct relationship between the complex physiological and psychological processes of the heterogeneous disorder and right hemisphere cortical activity. The present study examined cognitive information processing in people with PTSD, reaction patterns associated with perceived traumatic stressors, and quantitative electroencephalographic (qEEG) indices of hemispheric asymmetry. Individuals with PTSD (N=34) and age and sex-matched normal controls (N=136) completed standardised web-based self-report questionnaires assessing traumatic stressor events and reaction patterns to those events. Neuropsychological indices of verbal, visuospatial, sensori-motor performance, and electrophysiological recordings, were examined for right hemisphere coding. The relationships among traumatic characteristic reaction patterns of numbing and avoidance, cognitive performance, and frontal and posterior EEG alpha asymmetry were also investigated. Structural and functional alterations were shown in those with PTSD, using indices of working memory for the retrieval of verbal and psychomotor information, indicating a reduced speed of processing and alterations to background cortical arousal in left hemisphere frontal regions. The study supported and extended previous findings of verbal working memory abnormality, alterations to left frontal cortical rhythmic oscillations, and low EEG alpha amplitudes in those diagnosed with PTSD. Results indicated a pattern of compensatory mechanisms associated with reduced speed of information processing and right-sided activation patterns in PTSD participants and control participants who experienced strong reactions to perceived traumatic events. Findings support the impact of traumatic events on psychobiological health in high-risk populations, implicating an association with specific patterns of neural and cognitive functioning in characteristic numbing and avoidance behaviours. / Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Population Health and Clinical Practice, 2008

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Sydney, 2009. / Title from title screen (viewed Nov. 26, 2009) Includes tables and questionnaires. Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy to the Kolling Institute of Medical Research, Faculty of Medicine. Degree awarded 2009; thesis submitted 2008. Includes bibliography. Also available in print form.