Thesis (Ph.D.)--York University, 2008. Graduate Programme in Political Science. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 258-284). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&res_dat=xri:pqdiss&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:NR45996

Thesis (Ph. D.)--West Virginia University, 2001. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains ix, 107, 10 p. Vita. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 56-65).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of North Texas, Aug., 2009. / Title from title page display. Includes bibliographical references.

This report will provide an overview of the literature on predictive factors of the development of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in pediatric medical trauma patients as well as discuss the influence of cognitive development on the validity of such predictive factors. The report will propose that the validity of current predictive factors, including trauma memory, parental influence, and appraisals of the trauma and its sequelae, may alter across child development due to differences in cognitive abilities. In particular, the report proposes examining the following questions for pediatric patients (5 to 17 years of age) who have endured a medical trauma: 1) Are appraisal predictive values of PTSD moderated by age; 2) Is data-driven processing‟s predictive value of PTSD moderated by parental attitude of avoidance. The report additionally outlines hypotheses as well as proposes the methodology and statistics to examine the proposed hypotheses. Limitations as well as the importance of this study are discussed. / text

The purpose of this dissertation was to examine the connection between emotional trauma and executive function ability in children and adolescents. Trauma is defined as an overwhelming event that is beyond the realm of what might be an expectable occurrence for the average person. A serious outcome, occurring in around 14% of those children who experience trauma, is the development of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, which is classified as an anxiety disorder occurring after exposure to a traumatic event, in which symptoms of re-experiencing, avoidance, and arousal are present. In addition to the numerous physical, emotional, and social effects of trauma, neuropsychological and imaging research has confirmed that children’s neuroanatomy and cognitive functioning are often affected. It has been proposed that intrusive thoughts occurring immediately after the trauma event may modify the neural network function, setting the stage for neurobiological dysregulation. One of the most common neural anatomic areas of concern following trauma is the prefrontal cortex, a structure that continues to develop until the third decade of life, and that has been implicated as the home of executive function, an idea conceptualized in a number of ways, but that is most often considered an umbrella term describing essential functions of the mind, such as planning, inhibition, attention, and working memory. The scope of literature addressing the effect of trauma on executive function is minimal. It is the hypothesis of this study that early trauma may disrupt the normal development of the PFC and subsequently result in decreased executive functioning abilities. In order to explore this hypothesis, a set of neuropsychological measures were selected as representative of executive functioning, based on previous research. An initial factor analysis was conducted in order to determine if, as suspected, all subtests chosen load on a common factor of executive function. Multiple linear regression was used to determine whether children who experienced trauma have impaired executive functioning abilities, if there was a significant gender difference, and what, if any, differences there were between children who developed PTSD and children who did not. / text

published_or_final_version / Dental Surgery / Master / Master of Dental Surgery

Background. Earthquake is a natural event that can happen all around the world. And significant ones would cause great fatality, morbidity and huge economic damage to the local society. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a common psychiatric condition among the earthquake survivors. Some former studies indicated that being female experienced a higher risk of depression, a psychiatric symptoms after traumatic events, while others did not. It is not sure that whether females tend to be more easily suffer from PTSD after earthquakes. So the aim of the study is to conduct a systematic review to examine the sex difference of PTSD prevalence among surviving population after earthquake. Method. A keyword searching was performed using ‘earthquake’ and ‘PTSD’, ’posttraumatic stress disorder’ as keywords. Articles published in recent 5 years, in English and the ones full text could be accessed were included in the study. Among the articles being selected according to the inclusion criteria, those ones which fulfilled the exclusion criteria would be eliminated. Results. 11 articles included in this systematic review. In terms of the age of the subjects, there are seven articles studying the adult population and the remaining four studied children and adolescents. Six articles investigated the survivors from Chinese population after 2008 Wunchuan earthquake. Others studied survivors from local population after 2005 Pakistan earthquake(n=2), 2007 Peru earthquake(n=1), 2009 L’Aquila earthquake(n=1) and 1999 Jiji earthquake (n=1). On the other hand, the sex difference in earthquake-related PTSD in children and adolescents were inconsistent. Conclusion. Women tended to experience higher risk of PTSD after earthquake than men, while result on sex difference was not consistent in the children/adolescent population. Further studies are needed to examine PTSD prevalence between boys and girls. / published_or_final_version / Public Health / Master / Master of Public Health

The current report reviews the recent literature on the relationship between Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), sexual assault, and the resulting psychological impact on college women. This document is an overview of PTSD and sexual assault as defined in recent literature, and then reviews the significant impact both factors have on the college woman and her surrounding environment. Intervention and prevention strategies for the negative consequences of sexual assault and PTSD are included. Finally, this report provides suggestions for counselors on appropriate treatment and intervention plans for a college campus. / text

The study examined the effects of multiple interpersonal traumas (incurred simultaneously) on severity of PTSD symptoms; as demonstrated by the literature on the dose-effect relationship for PTSD, greater reports of interpersonal trauma, were hypothesized to lead to more severe PTSD symptomology. The 267 participants, were all Liberian war refugees living in Ghana, West Africa. Regression analysis was utilized to examine the contributions of interpersonal traumas (posttraumatic diagnostic scale), age, gender and marital status to PTSD symptoms (Impact of Event Scale). Interpersonal trauma was the strongest predictor, (β = .21, t(138) = 2.45, p < .05) of PTSD severity, which was supportive of the hypothesis. / Department of Psychological Science

This program of research investigated the nature and processes of autobiographical memory deficits in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Study 1 examined the proposition that difficulties in the retrieval of specific memories present a risk factor for posttraumatic psychopathology. A prospective study of fire-fighters found that a significant predictor of posttraumatic stress was a deficit in retrieving specific memories to positive cues before trauma. Study 2 investigated whether autobiographical retrieval deficits in PTSD can be modified by psychological treatment. Results found that as PTSD symptoms reduced following treatment, individuals with PTSD retrieved more specific memories to positive cues. Together, these results indicated that specific retrieval deficits to positive cues present a vulnerability factor for PTSD. However, this memory style appears to be receptive to modification following therapy. Study 3 investigated the association between autobiographical retrieval deficits and impaired problemsolving in PTSD. Participants with PTSD retrieved more overgeneral categoric memories and took longer to retrieve memories than non-PTSD trauma controls. This deficit was associated with impaired social problem-solving, suggesting that specific retrieval is related to successful problem solving. In an analogue design, Studies 4 and 5 investigated the proposition that resource limitations may underpin autobiographical retrieval deficits. Results generally supported the proposal that reduced cognitive resources may be a mechanism contributing to specific retrieval deficits. Studies 6 and 7 examined rumination as another possible mechanism responsible for these retrieval deficits. Study 6 found high anxious participants retrieved fewer specific memories to positive cues following rumination, compared to distraction. Study 7 found evidence that negative rumination in the high anxious group increased categoric retrieval, whereas positive rumination had no effect. Study 8 found retrieval of trauma-related self-defining memories was strongly associated with personal goals connected to the trauma. Study 9 found that discrepancies in one???s self construct were related to the retrieval of trauma memories to positive cues. This program of research extends current theories of autobiographical memory by identifying risk, maintenance, and recovery factors in the context of PTSD.