Adverse childhood experiences and alexithymia intensity as predictors of temporal dynamics of functioning in individuals with irritable bowel syndrome: A three-wave latent transition analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Despite high prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and its significant negative impact on individuals' quality of life, its etiology remains poorly understood. This prospective study explored whether early life factors (adverse childhood experiences; ACEs) and alexithymia intensity, could explain IBS symptom severity and its effects on psychological functioning over time. We also compared the studied variables between an IBS sample and a healthy control group. METHOD: Based on the Rome III Diagnostic Criteria for IBS, 245 individuals with a diagnosis of IBS were recruited from a national sample of Poles. The IBS sample completed the following psychometric questionaries in three waves, one month apart: Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire, Toronto Alexithymia Scale, IBS Symptom Severity Score, Short Form Perceived Stress Scale, and Ultra-Brief Patient Health Questionnaire for Anxiety and Depression. Latent transition analysis was used to identify distinct profiles of IBS symptom dynamics. RESULTS: The IBS group reported a significantly higher number of ACEs, greater alexithymia severity, and more intense levels of stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms compared to the healthy controls. Four profiles of IBS individuals with distinct dynamics of IBS symptoms, stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms were extracted, which correlated with the baseline number of ACEs and alexithymia intensity among participants. CONCLUSION: Childhood adversity and associated problems in emotional processing affect IBS symptom severity. ACEs should be included in IBS screening and considered in the design of individualized multidisciplinary treatment approaches for IBS patients.

Long-lasting effects of World War II trauma on PTSD symptoms and embodiment levels in a national sample of Poles.

The main aim of this study was to investigate the long-lasting influences of World War II (WWII) trauma in a national sample of Poles, based on Danieli's (1998) survivors' post-trauma adaptational styles (fighter, numb, victim) and their link with current post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and embodiment level among participants. We also sought to investigate whether the level of knowledge about WWII trauma among ancestors could moderate that association. The study was conducted among a representative sample of 1598 adult Poles obtained from an external company. Participants filled out the Danieli Inventory of Multigenerational Legacies of Trauma, the knowledge about traumatic World War II experiences in the family questionnaire, the Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale-5, and the Experience of Embodiment Scale. We observed a positive relationship between all survivors' post-trauma adaptational styles and current levels of PTSD symptoms among participants. In addition, PTSD level mediated the relationships between those adaptational styles and embodiment intensity; that mediation was additionally moderated by a lack of knowledge about WWII trauma among ancestors in our participants. Our study adds to the literature on intergenerational trauma by highlighting the importance of evaluating embodiment in understanding the mechanisms of trauma transmission. Furthermore, it highlights the moderating effect of knowledge of family history in this mechanism and the need to share family histories with subsequent generations.

Exposure to self-reported traumatic events and probable PTSD in a national sample of Poles: Why does Poland's PTSD prevalence differ from other national estimates?

BACKGROUND: There is a lack of studies on trauma exposure and PTSD prevalence in Poland on representative samples. Available data from studies on convenient samples show very high rates of probable PTSD compared with relevant estimates in other countries. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to measure the exposure to self-report traumatic events (PTEs) and to estimate the current rate of prevalence of probable posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in accordance with DSM-5 criteria in a population-based sample of Poles. Additionally, the link between PTSD intensity and level of life satisfaction was investigated. METHOD: A representative sample of 1,598 adult Poles was recruited. Probable PTSD was assessed with the Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale for DSM-5 (PDS-5) and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) was also used. RESULTS: The findings showed that 60.3% of Poles had experienced at least one PTE and 31.1% of those who had been exposed to trauma reported symptoms of PTSD. At the level of the entire sample, the obtained rate for probable PTSD was 18.8%. The traumatic events with the highest probabilities of PTSD symptoms were child abuse and sexual assault. Levels of life satisfaction were significantly lower in the group of participants with probable PTSD. CONCLUSIONS: We found that the current prevalence of probable PTSD in Poland is intriguingly high relative to rates reported in comparable representative samples from other countries across the world. Possible mechanisms are discussed, including a lack of social acknowledgement of WWII and other traumas as well as poor access to trauma-focused care. We hope that this research may inspire more studies investigating cross-national differences in PTSD and trauma exposure.

[The present level of post-traumatic stress symptoms in a sample of child survivors of World War II]. / Aktualny poziom objawów stresu potraumatycznego w próbie osób, które w dziecinstwie przezyly II wojne swiatowa.

AIM: The aim of the study was to estimate the prevalence of PTSD and level of symptoms more broadly considered as post-traumatic e.g. depression among Polish child survivors of World War II. METHOD: Data were collected from 218 individuals aged 63-78. MEASURES: a list of questions regarding exposure to a range of war related traumas; PDS (Foa, 1995); IES (Horowitz et al., 1976) to measure PTSD symptoms and BDI (Beck et al., 1961) for depression symptoms. RESULTS: Exposure to potentially traumatic events related to the WWII varied from 1.83% to 47.25%. The prevalence of PTSD symptoms at a diagnostic level according to PDS was 29.4%. The mean values B, C and D-category symptoms were respectively: 2.08 (SD=1.74), 2.34 (SD=1.98) and 2.40 (SD=1.69). Greater age, parental loss and exposure to at least one traumatic war-related event (this variable was close to the level of statistical significance, however) were all predictors of a diagnostic level of PTSD symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: 60 years after WW II about one-third of respondents manifest a clinical level of PTSD symptoms. Taking into consideration the results of the research on the child survivors of the modern wars, psychosocial and cultural factors should also be examined as causes of this phenomenon.

The Polish adaptation of the Disclosure of Trauma Questionnaire (DTQ). / Polska adaptacja Kwestionariusza Ujawnienia Traumy (DTQ).

OBJECTIVES: Trauma disclosure is one of the key concepts of the social-interpersonal model of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study aimed to present the Polish adaptation of the Disclosure of Trauma Questionnaire (DTQ). METHODS: The study was conducted among 120 participants (51 females and 69 males) aged 18-58 years (M = 34.52; SD = 9.95). The reliability of the DTQ was measured using Cronbach's alpha coefficients and intraclass correlation coefficients. The validity of the DTQ compared to the scores acquired with the PTSD Diagnostic Scale for DSM-5 (PDS-5), the Impact of Event Scale (IES), the Social Acknowledgment Questionnaire (SAQ), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was confirmed through confirmatory factor analysis and correlation analysis. RESULTS: The Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.87 for reluctance to talk subscale, 0.74 for urge to talk subscale, 0.85 for emotional reactions subscale, and 0.85 for the total DTQ questionnaire score. The intraclass correlation coefficients were high: 0.83 for reluctance to talk, 0.71 for urge to talk, 0.77 for emotional reactions, and 0.76 for the total DTQ questionnaire score. The factorial structure of the DTQ was confirmed through confirmatory factor analysis. The DTQ subscale scores correlated positively with the severity of PTSD symptoms and depressive symptoms, as well as the lack of social acknowledgement, as expected. CONCLUSIONS: The observed empirical results confirmed the satisfactory psychometric properties of the DTQ. This inventory may be useful for a broader understanding of how trauma disclosure is related to the social context of dealing with traumatic events.

Profiles of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD), and subjective well-being in a sample of adult children of alcoholics.

OBJECTIVE: The main aim of this study was to examine the heterogeneity of a sample of adult children of alcoholics (ACOAs) within the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-11 posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD (CPTSD) as well as DSM-5 PTSD diagnoses regarding the participants' subjective well-being (SWB). In addition, the construct validity of the ICD-11 CPTSD was assessed, and the ICD-11 and DSM-5 PTSD diagnoses among participants were compared. METHOD: The sample consisted of 609 ACOAs. Participants filled out the PTSD Checklist for the DSM-5 (PCL-5), International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ), Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS-X), and the Children of Alcoholics Screening test (CAST-6). RESULTS: We observed many fewer PTSD cases when we followed the ICD-11 criteria compared to cases of PTSD diagnosed based on DSM-5 criteria among participants. In addition, latent profile analysis (LPA) did not provide evidence of the construct validity of CPTSD. Finally, we found heterogeneity of ACOAs sample in terms of PTSD/CPTSD profiles, which were differently related to their SWB. CONCLUSIONS: Further research is needed to establish to what extent CPTSD and PTSD are separate and discrete disorders and why such discrepancy in PTSD level is observed when we follow either DSM-5 or ICD-11. In addition, the person-centered approach may provide more insight than variable-centered methods and thus, undermine the "uniformity myths" about ACOAs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Long-Term Psychological Consequences of World War II Trauma Among Polish Survivors: A Mixed-Methods Study on the Role of Social Acknowledgment.

BACKGROUND: The research on the psychological consequences of World War II (WWII) trauma has predominantly focused on concentration camp and Holocaust survivors. Only a few studies have been undertaken among civilian survivors of WWII. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine the association between perceived social acknowledgment of WWII trauma and the level of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depressive symptoms among Polish survivors of WWII by employing a mixed-methods design (i.e., a quantitative analysis supported by qualitative interviews). METHOD: In the quantitative part, 123 participants filled out: the list of WWII-related traumatic events, the PTSD Checklist for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (PCL-5), the shortened version of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), and the Social Acknowledgment Questionnaire (SAQ). In the qualitative part, an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) of participants' reminiscences of WWII was examined. RESULTS: Although we observed a direct positive association between the number of WWII-related traumatic events and the intensity of PTSD and depressive symptoms, these relationships changed when we entered the social acknowledgment construct into the model. Specifically, we found that perceived social acknowledgment (general disapproval) was a mediator of the relationship between the number of WWII traumatic events and the intensity of PTSD symptoms only, and not of depressive symptoms. In the qualitative part, three themes relating to traumatic reminiscences emerged among the participants: parental efficacy, parental betrayal, and support from the invader. CONCLUSION: Our study showed the significance of the general social acknowledgment in the long-term mental consequences of the WWII trauma in Poland. In addition, the results of our study may be an adjunct to the discussion on the long-term impact of WWII trauma in Poland and the factors that hindered its social recognition.

Knowledge about traumatic World War II experiences among ancestors and subjective well-being of young adults: A person-centred perspective.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of our study is to examine the association between knowledge about the World War II (WWII)-related traumatic experiences of their ancestors and subjective well-being (SWB) of young adults, i.e., descendants of Polish survivors of WWII. Specifically, we focus on the life satisfaction and the mental, physical, and psychosocial well-being of our participants in relation to their knowledge about WWII trauma in their family histories. METHOD: The sample comprised 500 Polish young adults recruited from a nonclinical general population. Participants first filled out a questionnaire assessing their knowledge about traumatic events that their ancestors could have experienced during WWII (see grandparents/mothers, great-grandparents/mothers). After that, subjects were given inventories to assess their SWB, i.e., the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28). RESULTS: Latent profile analysis was applied to extract profiles of participants differing with regard to the scope of knowledge about WWII-related traumatic experiences among ancestors. Specifically, six profiles were observed, and a general lack of knowledge about this kind of trauma in the family was characteristic of the sample. We also found differences in SWB across profiles of participants, with worse SWB in the profiles with the highest lack of knowledge about WWII-related traumatic experiences in the family. CONCLUSION: Our study adds to the literature on intergenerational trauma by applying a person-centred perspective, a methodological approach almost invisible in research on that topic. In addition, our findings can serve as a stimulus for more comprehensive debate on WWII trauma in Polish society.

Jewish and non-Jewish World War II child and adolescent survivors at 60 years after war: effects of parental loss and age at exposure on well-being.

The study investigated the effects of World War II (WWII) on psychological and social functioning of Jewish and non-Jewish survivors 60 years after the war. The authors hypothesized that the level of posttraumatic symptoms, depression, and social isolation of survivors who were at least 5 years old (but younger than 18) in the last year of WWII would be predicted by the extent of traumatic loss, (i.e., death of parent[s]) and age at the end of WWII. Data were collected from 211 individuals living in Poland, ages 66-80; 30% were Jewish Holocaust survivors. Current posttraumatic stress disorder was almost 2 times higher for Jewish (55.6%) than for non-Jewish survivors (30.9%), whereas no differences were found for depression and social isolation. Parental loss during the war predicted a global decrement of well-being (across measured outcome indices). For certain subgroups (e.g., Jewish survivors who had not lost their parents during WWII), war trauma may have less profound effects if most of the trauma exposure occurred during an earlier age (i.e., <5 years).

Posttraumatic stress symptoms among Polish World War II survivors: the role of social acknowledgement.

Background: There is growing evidence of the important role played by socio-interpersonal variables on the maintenance of PTSD. Many World War II survivors in Poland could, as a result of political circumstances during the aftermath of the war, have experienced a lack of social recognition of their war-related trauma. Objective: The main aim of the study was to examine the association between perceived social reactions and the level of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSD) and depression. Method: Participants (N = 120) were aged 71-97 years (M = 82.44; SD = 6.14). They completed a WWII trauma-related questionnaire, the Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale (PDS), the Impact of Events Scale (IES) and Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI). The Social Acknowledgement Questionnaire (SAQ) was used to measure participants' perception of others' acknowledgement and disapproval of their war trauma. Results: The rate of probable PTSD, diagnosed according to DSM-IV, was 38.3%. PTSD symptoms and General Disapproval were significantly correlated for all three PTSD symptom groups (Pearson's r ranged from .25 to .41). The structural equation modelling results also demonstrated the importance of General Disapproval with regard to the level of PTSD symptoms. It explained both the intensity of PTSD symptoms (13.4% of variance) and the level of depression (12.0% of variance). Conclusion: In addition to confirming the high rate of PTSD among WWII survivors in Poland, the results indicate the importance of social reactions to survivors' traumatic experiences.

Contexto: hay una evidencia creciente del importante papel que juegan las variables socio- interpersonales sobre el Trastorno de Estrés Postraumático (TEPT). En Polonia, muchos supervivientes de la segunda guerra mundial pudieron experimentar, como resultado de las circunstancias políticas después de la guerra, una falta de reconocimiento social del trauma que habían desarrollado como resultadi de la guerra. Objetivo: El principal de este estudio fue el examinar la asociación entre las reacciones sociales percibidas y el nivel de síntomas de estrés postraumático(TPET) y depresión. Método: Los participantes (N= 120) tenían entre los 71 y 97 años ((M=82.44; SD=6.14). Completaron un cuestionario relacionado con trauma en la segunda guerra mundial, la escala diagnostica postraumática (PDS), la escala de impacto de eventos (IES) y el inventario de depresión de Beck (BDI). El cuestionario de reconocimiento social (SAQ; Maercker & Müller, 2004) fue utilizado para medir la percepción de los participantes del reconocimiento o rechazo de su trauma bélico por parte de otras personas. Resultados: La tasa de TEPT probable, diagnosticado de acuerdo al DSM IV, fue del 38.3%. Los síntomas de TEPT y la desaprobación general se encontraban correlacionados fuertemente con los tres grupos de síntomas de TEPT (la r de Pearson se situaba entre .25 a .41). Los resultados del modelamiento de la ecuación estructural también demostraron la importancia de la desaprobación general en relación con el nivel de síntomas de TEPT. Explicaba tanto la intensidad de los síntomas (13.4% de la varianza) como el nivel de depresión (12.0% de la varianza).

The Polish adaptation of the Life Events Checklist (LEC-5) for PTSD criteria from DSM-5. / Polska adaptacja narzedzia pomiaru ekspozycji na traumatyczne zdarzenia wedlug definicji DSM-5: Life Events Checklist for DSM-5 (LEC-5).

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was the Polish adaptation of the Life Events Checklist (LEC-5), which is used to assess individual's traumatic events exposure for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) criteria from DSM-5. METHODS: The study was conducted on 172 students of the University of Finance and Management in Warsaw, i.e., 68 women and 104 men, at the age between 17 and 49 (M = 22.74; SD = 6.80). Reliability of LEC-5 was measured by the absolute stability method. Two repeated measurements with two week interval were conducted on the sample of 40 students of the University of Finance and Management. Validity of LEC-5 was checked by the correlational analysis between the LEC-5 scales and the PTSD Diagnostic Scale for DSM-5 (PDS-5) and the Impact of Events Scale (IES) on the whole 172 sample of students. RESULTS: The magnitude of interclass correlation coefficients for all LEC-5 scales and high values of Cohen's kappa coefficients proved a high reliability of this tool. Significant correlations between all LEC-5 scales and PDS-5 and IES scales were also obtained, which proved satisfactory validity of LEC-5. CONCLUSIONS: Obtained empirical results proved satisfying psychometric properties of LEC-5.

Trauma and trauma care in Europe.

The European countries have a long history of exposure to large-scale trauma. In the early 1990s the increasing awareness of the consequences of trauma within the mental health community led to the foundation of local societies for psychotraumatology across Europe and the European Society of Traumatic Stress Studies (ESTSS), which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2018. The focus of this article is to describe the current state of care for survivors of trauma in the 15 European countries where ESTSS member societies have been established. Brief descriptions on the historical burden of trauma in each country are followed by an overview of the care system for trauma survivors in the countries, the state-of-the-art of interventions, current challenges in caring for survivors and the topics that need to be most urgently addressed in the future. The reports from the different countries demonstrate how important steps towards a better provision of care for survivors of trauma have been made in Europe. Given the cultural and economic diversity of the continent, there are also differences between the European countries, for instance with regard to the use of evidence-based treatments. Strategies to overcome these differences, like the new ESTSS training curricula for care-providers across Europe, are briefly discussed.

Los países Europeos tienen una larga historia de exposición a traumas de larga escala. A principios de la década de 1990, la creciente conciencia de las consecuencias del trauma dentro de la comunidad de salud mental condujo a la fundación de las sociedades locales para la psicotraumatología en Europa y la Sociedad Europea de Estudios de Estrés Traumático (ESTSS), la cual celebra en el 2018 su 25° aniversario. El enfoque de este artículo es describir el estado actual de la atención de los sobrevivientes de traumas en los 15 países Europeos, donde las sociedades miembros de la ESTSS se han establecido. Las descripciones breves sobre la carga histórica de trauma en cada país son seguidas por una descripción general del sistema de atención para sobrevivientes de trauma en el país, el estado de la técnica de las intervenciones, los desafíos actuales en el cuidado de sobrevivientes y los temas que necesitan ser abordados con mayor urgencia en el futuro. Los reportes de los diferentes países demuestran los pasos importantes que se han dado en Europa en la entrega de atención para los sobrevivientes de trauma. Dada la diversidad cultural y económica del continente, hay también diferencias entre los países Europeos, por ejemplo en relación al uso de tratamientos basados en la evidencia. Las estrategias para resolver estas diferencias, como el nuevo curriculum de entrenamiento de la ESTSS para los proveedores de atención a lo largo de Europa son discutidas brevemente.

PTSD prevalence among Polish World War II survivors. / Rozpowszechnienie PTSD wsród osób, które przezyly II wojne swiatowa w Polsce.

OBJECTIVES: Over the past decade research has been published in several Western European countries on the prevalence of PTSD among World War II survivors, mostly civilians. Prevalence rates ranged from 1.9% to 10.8 %. The aim of the study was to measure the frequency of PTSD occurrence among Polish WWII survivors. METHODS: Data from 96 persons: 59 women and 37 men, aged 70-96 were analyzed. All participants were born before 1945. They completed Polish adaptations of: Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale (PDS), Impact of Events Scale (IES), Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI) and WWII trauma related questionnaire. RESULTS: Prevalence rate of potential PTSD was 32,3% Mean values of both number and severity of symptoms of PTSD were significantly higher for respondents with at least one war related trauma comparing to the participants who did note relate any such trauma. CONCLUSIONS: Comparing to other studies on WWII related PTSD the prevalence rate of possible PTSD was very high. Looking for possible explanation of such results seems to be an important challenge.

The validation of the Polish version of the Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale and its factor structure.

BACKGROUND: Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale (PDS) is a self-descriptive measure developed to provide information regarding posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosis and symptom severity. OBJECTIVES: THE AIM OF THIS ARTICLE IS TO REPORT ON THE VALIDATION OF THE POLISH VERSION OF PDS AND TO TEST ITS FACTOR STRUCTURE WITH REFERENCE TO TWO MODELS: an original three-factor model (Reexperiencing, Avoidance, and Arousal) and alternative five-factor model (Reexperiencing, Avoidance, Numbing, Dysphoric Arousal, and Anxious Arousal). METHOD: THE VALIDATION PROCEDURE INCLUDED THREE STUDIES CONDUCTED ON SAMPLES OF SEPARATE POPULATIONS: university-level students (n=507), individuals who had experienced various traumas (n=320), and treatment-seeking survivors of motor vehicle accidents (MVA) (n=302). Various other measures of trauma-related psychopathology were administered to participants, as well as the PTSD module of the Structured Clinical Interview (SCID) in the case of MVA patients. RESULTS: PDS showed high internal consistency and test-retest reliability, good diagnostic agreement with SCID, good sensitivity but relatively low specificity. The satisfactory convergent validity was supported by a large number of significant correlations with other measures of trauma-related psychopathology. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) generally confirmed both the three-factor structure and the alternative five-factor structure of the questionnaire. CONCLUSIONS: The results show generally good psychometric properties of the Polish version of PDS.

Post-disaster psychosocial services across Europe: the TENTS project.

At present post-disaster activities and plans seem to vary widely. An adequate estimation of the availability of post-disaster psychosocial services across Europe is needed in order to compare them with recently developed evidence-informed psychosocial care guidelines. Here we report on the results of a cross-sectional web-based survey completed in 2008 by two hundred and eighty-six representatives of organizations involved in psychosocial responses to trauma and disaster from thirty-three different countries across Europe. The survey addressed planning and delivery of psychosocial care after disaster, methods of screening and diagnosis, types of interventions used, and other aspects of psychosocial care after trauma. The findings showed that planning and delivery of psychosocial care was inconsistent across Europe. Countries in East Europe seemed to have less central coordination of the post-disaster psychosocial response and fewer post-disaster guidelines that were integrated into specific disaster or contingency plans. Several forms of psychological debriefing, for which there is no evidence of efficacy to date, were still used in several areas particularly in North Europe. East European countries delivered evidence-based interventions for PTSD less frequently, whilst in South- and South-Eastern European countries anxiety suppressing medication such as benzodiazepines were prescribed more frequently to disaster victims than in other areas. Countries across Europe are currently providing sub-optimal psychosocial care for disaster victims. This short report shows that there is an urgent need for some countries to abandon non-effective interventions and others to develop more evidence based and effective services to facilitate the care of those involved in future disasters.

Prevalence of traumatic events and posttraumatic stress symptoms in a student sample in Poland.

The study investigated the prevalence of traumatic events and posttraumatic symptoms among university level students in Poland. Data was collected from 475 students: 69% women and 30% men, mean age 22.9. The measures included SLESQ, Mississippi-C Scale, IES and BDI. At least one traumatic event (according to DSM-IV) was reported by 75.6% of the studied group. Prevalence of traumatic events was higher for men than for women. Life threatening accidents, child physical abuse, traumatic bereavement, witnessing death/assault and adult physical assault/abuse were the most commonly experienced events in the whole group. There were differences in prevalence rates of specific types of traumatic events between men and women. The level of posttraumatic events between groups with different levels of exposure to trauma was analysed, as well as between the group of persons who experienced particular types of traumatic events as compared with the group of subjects with no exposure to this type of trauma.

Lifetime exposure to potentially traumatic events in a sample of alcohol-dependent patients in Poland.

Recent studies show a high prevalence of traumatic events in samples of patients with a substance use disorder. In the present study, the lifetime exposure to potentially traumatic events (PTEs) was estimated in a sample of 458 patients recruited at 17 randomly chosen alcohol-dependence treatment units in the public healthcare sector in Poland. Eighty percent of the patients reported a history of at least one potentially traumatic event. Sixty percent of them reported experiencing more than one probable trauma. However, only the patients who experienced physical assault reported worse clinical severity in posttraumatic stress and alcohol-use related symptomatology. The findings confirm the importance of trauma assessment in alcohol-dependent patients and the inclusion of trauma-related issues in the treatment of alcohol dependence.