Specifying the Relations among PTSD Symptom Clusters and Parenting Stress in Mothers Engaged in Substance Use Treatment.

INTRODUCTION: Parenting stress is often heightened in mothers receiving treatment for substance use. Experiences of trauma are commonly seen in this population, which may give rise to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms, including intrusion, avoidance, negative cognition and mood, and affective arousal. While past research has demonstrated a significant relation between PTSD symptoms and parenting stress, no studies have examined the relative contributions of these symptoms to parenting stress in mothers engaged in substance use treatment. METHODS: Seventy-four mothers attending outpatient substance use treatment who were parenting children aged 0-3 years completed measures of parenting stress, PTSD, substance use, and depression symptoms. RESULTS: A canonical correlation analysis indicated two canonical variates accounting for significant variance between PTSD symptom clusters and parenting stress measures. The first canonical variate, primarily reflecting depressive and PTSD cognition and mood symptoms, was predominantly related to the parental distress aspect of parenting stress (40%). The second canonical variate, primarily reflecting intrusion and avoidance PTSD symptoms, was associated with increased parental perceptions of their child as difficult (10%). CONCLUSION: Future research directions and clinical implications of these results are discussed for designing parenting interventions with mothers attending substance use treatment who present with PTSD symptoms.

Synthetic cannabinoid overdose in a 20-year-old male US soldier.

Popularity of synthetic cannabinoids among US military service members has risen over the last several years, leading to an increase in hospitalizations and legal actions stemming from its use and possession. Although synthetic cannabinoids, collectively referred to as "Spice," are similar in structure to the active metabolites found in cannabis, significant concerns exist regarding the severity of short- and long-term medical and psychiatric sequelae. This article presents a case, in which a patient experienced severe medical and psychiatric symptoms far exceeding the severity and duration typically resulting from cannabis use.

Systematic review of planned care transitions for persons with dementia.

A systematic review was conducted to identify, categorize and summarize available research on planned care transitions or relocations for persons with dementia (PWD) in order to help guide best practice. Articles were identified by keyword searches of electronic databases, and a soft search of references of relevant articles. The review found that planned care transitions in PWD are associated with an increase in undesirable outcomes, particularly immediately post-transition, and that caregivers are often underutilized in care planning and underprepared for care transitions. It is recommended that transitional care interventions for PWD make explicit efforts to enhance caregiver involvement, provide social and pragmatic support for PWD and their caregivers and offer assistance in managing behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia.