Self-mutilative behaviors in male veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder.

Self-mutilative behaviors (SMB) were examined in a sample of male veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The primary objective was to determine the prevalence of SMB and any physical, cognitive, or affective antecedents and correlates for these behaviors. Participants included 509 male veterans with PTSD and levels of PTSD, depression, alcohol use, hostility, and impulsivity were evaluated to determine if these variables were related to SMB. Antecedents and sequelae of SMB were also examined to generate hypotheses regarding the functions of these behaviors. A second type of habit behavior, body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRB), was also examined as part of the study. Findings indicated that veterans who engaged in either type of habit behavior were younger than those who did not engage in SMB or BFRB. Veterans reporting SMB also reported higher levels of PTSD, depression, hostility, and impulsivity compared to the BFRB and no-habit groups. Examination of habit antecedents and sequelae showed support for the automatic-positive reinforcement function of SMB. These findings are discussed in the context of research and treatment involving male veterans with PTSD who engage in SMB.

Dissociation and serenity induction.

Dissociation is a common experience during or immediately after a traumatic event; yet, most of the current knowledge regarding dissociation is retrospective in nature. The aim of the present study investigated a non-pharmacological method of dissociative induction with a clinical sample. Participants with PTSD and non-trauma exposed participants were randomly assigned to receive either a dissociative induction, or a serenity induction, based on modified Velten mood induction procedures. Participants receiving the dissociative induction reported higher state-dissociation than those receiving the serenity induction. The PTSD group reported greater state dissociation than the non-trauma exposed group, regardless of induction. State dissociation was related to trait dissociation, PTSD severity, and depression. The present results provide an initial demonstration of the viability for inducing state dissociation in the laboratory with a PTSD sample.

Directed forgetting following mood induction in chronic posttraumatic stress disorder patients.

Current research of posttrauma sequelae suggests that intrusive rather than avoidant-dissociative models more accurately represent the encoding processes of trauma cues. However, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is often conceptualized as a phasic phenomenon, altering between arousal and avoidance states. The failure to support a relationship between avoidant encoding style and PTSD may reflect this alteration. To explore this hypothesis, participants with PTSD and controls (no PTSD) completed an item-cued directed-forgetting task, following either a dissociative or a serenity (control) mood induction. Results suggested that, following the serenity induction, a standard directed-forgetting effect was observed. However, following the dissociation induction, this effect was not observed. The role of dissociation in impairing encoding via lack of selective rehearsal or source discrimination is discussed.

Inflated perception of responsibility for harm in OCD patients with and without checking compulsions: a replication and extension.

In a follow-up study to [J. Anxiety Disord., in press] examination of inflated perception of responsibility for harm among individuals with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCs), 22 OC checkers, 24 OC non-checkers, and 25 non-anxious controls (NACs) completed the Obsessive Compulsive Responsibility Scale (OCRS), which consisted of written descriptions of Low-Risk (LR), Moderate-Risk (MR), and High-Risk (HR) scenarios. In LR and MR scenarios, OC checkers reported greater perception of responsibility for harm and greater relief upon rectifying the situation, than did NACs. OC checkers also reported greater urges to rectify LR situations than did NACs. OC non-checkers did not differ from NACs on any of the scales. No group differences emerged for HR scenarios. The results suggest that, compared to OC non-checkers and to NACs, OC checkers have an inflated perception of responsibility for harm; and that this perception leads to a need to rectify potentially harmful situations.