No abstract available.
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic*

Objectives: The objectives of this pilot study was to establish the preliminary data on the prevalence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among VMMC Department of Psychiatry In-Patients and Out-Patients with combat experience. Methodology: It is a cross sectional study conducted by reviewing patients' charts. Case definition was based on the standardized ClinicianAdministered PTSD Scale (CAPS) - Filipino Version. In -patients were recruited directly while new and old OPD patients were recruited through chart review and invitations. Adequate combat exposure was measured with the United States Veterans Affairs Combat Exposure Scale (USVACES). Data was presented as lifetime and current prevalence among the exposed population. Results: The study showed that 17.85% of the subjects (n=28) of this pilot study had a lifetime diagnosis of PTSD. None of the subjects reached the symptom threshold for a current diagnosis of PTSD. Three out of 19 subjects (15.78%) diagnosed with Schizophrenia had a lifetime diagnosis of PTSD while two out of five subjects (40%) with Bipolar I Disorder had comorbid lifetime diagnosis of PTSD. The number of subjects needed to power the study using Daniel's (1999) formula was N= 225. Conclusion The pilot study showed that the lifetime prevalence rate of PTSD among VMMC Psychiatry patients (17.85%) was comparable to worldwide trends. The study did not report any new occurrences of PTSD.
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic

Pavlovian fear conditioning has been extensively studied for the understanding of neurobiological basis of memory and emotion. Pavlovian fear conditioning is an associative memory which forms when conditioned stimulus (CS) is paired with unconditioned stimulus (US) once or repeatedly. This behavioral model is also important for the understanding of anxiety disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder. Here we describe the neural circuitry involved in fear conditioning and the molecular mechanisms underlying fear memory formation. During consolidation some memories fade out but other memories become stable and concrete. Emotion plays an important role in determining which memories will survive. Memory becomes unstable and editable again immediately after retrieval. It opens the possibility for us of modulating the established fear memory. It provides us with very efficient tools to improve the efficacy of cognitive-behavior therapy and other exposure-based therapy treating anxiety disorders.
Anxiety Disorders ; Memory ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic

No abstract available.
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic* ; Thyroid Gland*

In order to develop a self-report scale measureing posttraumatic distress, the authors translated Horowitz's(1979) Impact of Event Scale(IES) in Korean and explored its reliability and validity. The IES, BDI, STAI-I, II and MMPI-PTSD were administered to 143 college students and 104 patients who had experienced auto vehicle accident. The internal consistency(item-total correlation, students: r=.52, patients: r=.58:Cronbach's alpha, students: alpha=.87, patients: alpha=.89) and test-retest reliability (r=.73) were psychometrically approvable. To examine the validity, patients who were classified PTSD and non-PTSD were compared with IES, BDI, STAI-I, II and MMPI-PTSD. There were significant group differences in IES, BDI, and MMPI-PTSD. The IES was significantly correlated with BDI, STAI-II, and MMPI-PTSD. It was more highly correlated with MMPI-PTSD than BDI or STAI. The results of factor analysis suggested a single factor. IES showed sufficient discriminant validities between PTSD and non-PTSD(74.4%). Finally, the usefulness of the scale, some limitations, and implications for future study were discussed.
Humans ; Reproducibility of Results* ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic

Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a condition involving the manifestation of negative biological, behavioral, affective, and cognitive responses to a triggering event or stimulus. In the Philippines, PTSD can be caused by typhoon-related trauma which is borne out of the country's relative proneness to this natural disaster. Research has shown that PTSD can be effectively mitigated through prolonged exposure therapy. Contemporary studies have also shown promise in the utility of virtual reality as a tool for aiding prolonged exposure therapy. Objectives: To address current research gaps, the study intended to discuss the development of an adjunct virtual reality tool (Typhoon VRET) whose elements were mainly derived using data from narrative review and a consultation interview with a Filipino psychotherapy practitioner. Methodology: The study utilized in-depth literature review and consultation interview with a Filipino trauma response specialist as primary sources of data. Key themes and findings were virtually represented through Unity, Blender, and Cardboard SDK. Results: The Typhoon VRET features a relaxation scene, a rescue scene, and a typical Filipino house that showcases cultural elements so as to stimulate clients' traumatic reminders and fear structures. Users are given the option to control the environment, including the strength and volume of the flooding, wind, and rain. Conclusion Virtual reality could may be an adjunct tool to aid in addressing typhoon-related trauma among Filipinos. Several recommendations are provided in improving the technical features of the tool and integrating it into psychotherapy practice.
Virtual Reality ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic

Linn is a twenty-year-old female who grew up silently competitive while feeling inferior, and still excelling academically in the background of bullying and social exclusion. This report proposes that the vulnerability to trauma or to the perception of being traumatized can be related to the individual’s level of narcissism. Trauma-associated narcissistic symptoms (TANS) are a result of experiencing a stressor as an affront to the grandiose self. A traumatic disequilibrium occurs in a narcissistically vulnerable self. In both TANS and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), secondary symptoms of anxiety and depression can significantly color the patient’s clinical presentation. Individuals can develop both TANS and PTSD, displaying a mixed clinical presentation. Psychotherapy with the primary goal to restore narcissistic equilibrium is recommended.
Wounds and Injuries ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic ; Narcissism

This is a case of a 22-year-old female who presented with labile mood, impulsivity and persistent suicidality. Despite numerous pharmacologic and psychotherapeutic regimens, she only had minimal improvement. Subsequently, she revealed traumatic events in younger years.She has been experiencing recurrent intrusive thoughts, low self-worth, guilt and avoidance behavior. Pharmacotherapeutic management was revised as well as her psychotherapy, which resulted in a positive outcome. However, recurrence occurred after she encountered negative life events. Electroconvulsive therapy and revision of pharmacologic treatment eventually led to significant improvement. This case highlights the importance of underlying psychological trauma that caused persistent symptoms. The intensity of impact and the chronic recurrent negative effect of the trauma on the patient influenced the treatment outcome. It is important to optimize therapeutic management with the use of pharmacologic agents, psychotherapy and somatic therapies.
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic ; Bipolar Disorder

The purpose of this study was to investigate the specific cognitive emotion regulation strategies affecting the development and maintenance of post-traumatic stress symptoms by reviewing the related literature. A literature search was conducted using Google Scholar, PubMed, DBPia, and RISS for investigating the relationship between cognitive emotion regulation strategies and post-traumatic stress symptoms in people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or in those who had experienced severe trauma. Catastrophizing and rumination were associated with more post-traumatic stress symptoms and higher psychological distress. On the other hand, positive reappraisal, refocus on planning, and acceptance were associated with fewer post-traumatic stress symptoms and lower psychological distress. We propose that catastrophizing and rumination contribute to both the development and maintenance of post-traumatic stress symptoms. Therefore, in the prevention and treatment of PTSD symptoms, catastrophizing and rumination need to be targeted and positive reappraisal needs to be increased.
Catastrophization ; Hand ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of Acute Stress Disorder and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder among residents of Barangay Tumana, Marikina exposed to Typhoon Ondoy in September 2009 and Habagat rains in August 2012.

METHODOLOGY: The Acute Stress Disorder Scale (ASDS) and Impact of Events Scale-Revised (IESR) were administered to 212 subjects. Trauma history was also obtained. When screened positive for Acute Stress Disorder (ASD) and/or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a confirmatory diagnosis was done through psychiatric clinical interview.

RESULTS: The study showed a prevalence rate of 10% for ASD and 5% for PTSD. Co-morbid ASD and PTSD were seen in 4% of the subjects. Frequency and type of prior traumatic events were not significantly different among subjects who were positive or negative for ASD/PTSD diagnoses.

CONCLUSION: There was a significant prevalence of ASD/PTSD diagnoses among residents exposed to Typhoon Ondoy and Habagat, thus the need for developing a means of early detection and immediate therapeutic intervention in Filipino communities exposed to natural disasters.