Smaller total and subregional cerebellar volumes in posttraumatic stress disorder: a mega-analysis by the ENIGMA-PGC PTSD workgroup.

Although the cerebellum contributes to higher-order cognitive and emotional functions relevant to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), prior research on cerebellar volume in PTSD is scant, particularly when considering subregions that differentially map on to motor, cognitive, and affective functions. In a sample of 4215 adults (PTSD n = 1642; Control n = 2573) across 40 sites from the ENIGMA-PGC PTSD working group, we employed a new state-of-the-art deep-learning based approach for automatic cerebellar parcellation to obtain volumetric estimates for the total cerebellum and 28 subregions. Linear mixed effects models controlling for age, gender, intracranial volume, and site were used to compare cerebellum volumes in PTSD compared to healthy controls (88% trauma-exposed). PTSD was associated with significant grey and white matter reductions of the cerebellum. Compared to controls, people with PTSD demonstrated smaller total cerebellum volume, as well as reduced volume in subregions primarily within the posterior lobe (lobule VIIB, crus II), vermis (VI, VIII), flocculonodular lobe (lobule X), and corpus medullare (all p-FDR < 0.05). Effects of PTSD on volume were consistent, and generally more robust, when examining symptom severity rather than diagnostic status. These findings implicate regionally specific cerebellar volumetric differences in the pathophysiology of PTSD. The cerebellum appears to play an important role in higher-order cognitive and emotional processes, far beyond its historical association with vestibulomotor function. Further examination of the cerebellum in trauma-related psychopathology will help to clarify how cerebellar structure and function may disrupt cognitive and affective processes at the center of translational models for PTSD.

EMDR v. other psychological therapies for PTSD: a systematic review and individual participant data meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: This systematic review and individual participant data meta-analysis (IPDMA) examined the overall effectiveness of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) in reducing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, achieving response and remission, and reducing treatment dropout among adults with PTSD compared to other psychological treatments. Additionally, we examined available participant-level moderators of the efficacy of EMDR. METHODS: This study included randomized controlled trials. Eligible studies were identified by a systematic search in PubMed, Embase, PsyclNFO, PTSDpubs, and CENTRAL. The target population was adults with above-threshold baseline PTSD symptoms. Trials were eligible if at least 70% of study participants had been diagnosed with PTSD using a structured clinical interview. Primary outcomes included PTSD symptom severity, treatment response, and PTSD remission. Treatment dropout was a secondary outcome. The systematic search retrieved 15 eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs); 8 of these 15 were able to be included in this IPDMA (346 patients). Comparator treatments included relaxation therapy, emotional freedom technique, trauma-focused cognitive behavioral psychotherapies, and REM-desensitization. RESULTS: One-stage IPDMA found no significant difference between EMDR and other psychological treatments in reducing PTSD symptom severity (ß = -0.24), achieving response (ß = 0.86), attaining remission (ß = 1.05), or reducing treatment dropout rates (ß = -0.25). Moderator analyses found unemployed participants receiving EMDR had higher PTSD symptom severity at the post-test, and males were more likely to drop out of EMDR treatment than females. CONCLUSION: The current study found no significant difference between EMDR and other psychological treatments. We found some indication of the moderating effects of gender and employment status.

Towards accurate screening and prevention for PTSD (2-ASAP): protocol of a longitudinal prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Effective preventive interventions for PTSD rely on early identification of individuals at risk for developing PTSD. To establish early post-trauma who are at risk, there is a need for accurate prognostic risk screening instruments for PTSD that can be widely implemented in recently trauma-exposed adults. Achieving such accuracy and generalizability requires external validation of machine learning classification models. The current 2-ASAP cohort study will perform external validation on both full and minimal feature sets of supervised machine learning classification models assessing individual risk to follow an adverse PTSD symptom trajectory over the course of 1 year. We will derive these models from the TraumaTIPS cohort, separately for men and women. METHOD: The 2-ASAP longitudinal cohort will include N = 863 adults (N = 436 females, N = 427 males) who were recently exposed to acute civilian trauma. We will include civilian victims of accidents, crime and calamities at Victim Support Netherlands; and who were presented for medical evaluation of (suspected) traumatic injuries by emergency transportation to the emergency department. The baseline assessment within 2 months post-trauma will include self-report questionnaires on demographic, medical and traumatic event characteristics; potential risk and protective factors for PTSD; PTSD symptom severity and other adverse outcomes; and current best-practice PTSD screening instruments. Participants will be followed at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months post-trauma, assessing PTSD symptom severity and other adverse outcomes via self-report questionnaires. DISCUSSION: The ultimate goal of our study is to improve accurate screening and prevention for PTSD in recently trauma-exposed civilians. To enable future large-scale implementation, we will use self-report data to inform the prognostic models; and we will derive a minimal feature set of the classification models. This can be transformed into a short online screening instrument that is user-friendly for recently trauma-exposed adults to fill in. The eventual short online screening instrument will classify early post-trauma which adults are at risk for developing PTSD. Those at risk can be targeted and may subsequently benefit from preventive interventions, aiming to reduce PTSD and relatedly improve psychological, functional and economic outcomes.

Adaptation and validation study of the Indonesian version of the Global Psychotrauma Screen in an undergraduate student population.

BACKGROUND: The high incidence of potentially traumatic events (PTEs) in Indonesia warrants early identification of those with probable trauma-related disorders in order to tailor prevention and intervention for trauma-related symptoms. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to adapt and validate a novel brief transdiagnostic screener, the Global Psychotrauma Screen (GPS), in Indonesian undergraduate students. METHODS: An online survey was administered among Indonesian undergraduate students (N = 322). Exploratory factor analysis, reliability analyses, clinical validity analyses, and correlational analyses were performed to evaluate the construct validity, reliability, clinical validity, and convergent-divergent validity of the Indonesian GPS. Hierarchical multiple regression was conducted to assess the relationship between risk factors and trauma-related symptoms. The relationship between four categories of trauma-related symptom severity and social/work functioning was measured using Analysis of Covariance. RESULTS: Exploratory factor analysis yielded a single-factor solution. The Indonesian GPS demonstrated good internal consistency, test-retest correlation, and absolute agreement, indicating good reliability. The Indonesian GPS also had an acceptable area under the curve, sensitivity, and specificity for a probable diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Complex-PTSD (CPTSD), depression, and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). We also established evidence for the convergent and divergent validity of GPS. The GPS risk factors (low psychological resilience, other stressful events, history of mental illness, and low social support) contributed to predicting trauma-related symptoms after controlling for gender, age, employment status, and faculty background. Additionally, in comparison to participants from the mild and low categories of GPS symptoms scores, participants from the severe and moderate category reported impaired lowered social/work functioning. CONCLUSION: The current findings indicate that the Indonesian GPS is a valid and reliable transdiagnostic trauma screener for Indonesian undergraduate students. This first comprehensive validation of the GPS in Indonesia calls for more research in Lower-middle Income Countries (LMICs) as a way towards prevention and early intervention for trauma-related symptoms.

Wellbeing of Helicopter Emergency Medical Services Personnel in a Challenging Work Context: A Qualitative Study.

BACKGROUND: Helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) personnel provide on-scene trauma care to patients with high mortality risk. Work in the HEMS setting is characterized by frequent exposure to critical incidents and other stressors. The aim of this study was to further our understanding of the factors underlying HEMS personnel wellbeing to inform organizations regarding workplace interventions that can be implemented to support employees. METHOD: We conducted 16 semi-structured interviews with HEMS personnel from a university hospital in The Netherlands. Interview topics included work context, personal characteristics, coping, work engagement, and psychosocial support. To analyze the data, we used a generic qualitative research approach inspired by grounded theory, including open, axial, and selective coding. RESULTS: The analysis revealed ten categories that provide insight into factors underlying the wellbeing of HEMS personnel and their work context: team and collaboration, coping, procedures, informal peer support, organizational support and follow-up care, drives and motivations, attitudes, other stressors, potentially traumatic events, and emotional impact. Various factors are important to their wellbeing, such as working together with colleagues and social support. Participants reported that HEMS work can have an emotional impact on wellbeing, yet they use multiple strategies to cope with various stressors. The perceived need for organizational support and follow-up care is low among participants. CONCLUSION: This study identifies factors and strategies that support the wellbeing of HEMS personnel. It also provides insight into the HEMS work culture and help-seeking behavior in this population. Findings from this study may benefit employers by shedding much-needed light on factors that HEMS personnel feel affect wellbeing.

Peritraumatic Dissociation Partially Mediates the Influence of Lifetime Trauma Exposure on Prospective PTSD Symptoms.

Higher lifetime trauma exposure and increased peritraumatic dissociation (PD) are well-known predictors of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms following new trauma (prospective PTSD symptoms). The interplay between those factors, however, is not well established. In this study, we aimed to assess whether PD mediates the influence of lifetime trauma exposure on prospective PTSD symptoms. A total of 387 adults visiting five emergency departments who had experienced a traumatic event within 72 hours completed baseline assessments on lifetime trauma exposure count and PD. PTSD symptoms were assessed 1 month later. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the mediation effect of PD in the relationship between lifetime trauma exposure count and 1-month PTSD symptoms. We found that PD mediated the association between lifetime trauma exposure count and 1-month PTSD symptoms, even after accounting for some confounders. However, the mediation was partial, accounting for 17.9% of the lifetime trauma exposure count's total effect. While this finding is significant, it also suggests that additional mechanisms beyond PD play a role in explaining the influence of higher lifetime trauma exposure on prospective PTSD symptoms. These findings provide valuable insights into the complex dynamics of PTSD development and call for further research to explore complementary factors and preventive strategies.

The Need for a Diagnostic Instrument to Assess Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in People with Dementia: Findings from a Delphi Study.

Cognitive and behavioral aspects may mask posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in people with dementia. PTSD severely lowers quality of life in people with dementia. Proper recognition of PTSD is essential to ensure adequate treatment. However, a valid diagnostic tool for PTSD in dementia is lacking. A Delphi study was conducted among 20 Dutch and 6 international experts in the field of PTSD and dementia care or research. The aim was to reach consensus in 3 rounds on the added value, form, content, and application for developing such an instrument. The first round confirmed the need for a new diagnostic tool for research and clinical practice. Consensus was reached on 23 statements regarding the support base and 19 related to content of the instrument. In the third round, opinions on several conceptual problems were gathered. Based on the experts' opinions, a draft version of an instrument, the TRAuma and DEmentia-interview (TRADE-interview), was developed. Clinical and research implications of this new measure are discussed.

Sex-Based Contributors to and Consequences of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Women are twice as likely to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) compared to men after a traumatic experience. The purpose of this mini review was to explore recent research on biological contributors to this sex difference. RECENT FINDINGS: We identified 51 studies published since 2019. Studies found that beyond the influence of sex on the prevalence and symptoms of PTSD, there is evidence for and against sex-based differences in genetic and epigenetic factors (n = 8), brain structure and function (n = 11), neuroendocrine and inflammatory responses (n = 5), and in the role of sleep on emotional memory processing (n = 1). Sex differences were also observed in recovery and during PTSD treatment (n = 16). Finally, there is emerging evidence of sex-differentiated risk for medical and psychiatric comorbidities in PTSD (n = 10). Rapid advances are being made using integrated multidisciplinary approaches to understand why females are at a heightened risk for developing PTSD.

The mental health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and exposure to other potentially traumatic events up to old age.

We investigated whether the impact of potentially traumatic events (PTEs) on trauma-related symptoms changes across the transitional adult lifespan (i.e., 16-100 years old) and if this association differs for self-reported COVID-19-related PTEs compared to other PTEs. A web-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 7,034 participants from 88 countries between late April and October 2020. Participants completed the Global Psychotrauma Screen (GPS), a self-report questionnaire assessing trauma-related symptoms. Data were analyzed using linear and logistic regression analyses and general linear models. We found that older age was associated with lower GPS total symptom scores, B = -0.02, p < .001; this association remained significant but was substantially weaker for self-reported COVID-19-related PTEs compared to other PTEs, B = 0.02, p = .009. The results suggest an association between older age and lower ratings of trauma-related symptoms on the GPS, indicating a blunted symptom presentation. This age-related trend was smaller for self-reported COVID-19-related PTEs compared to other PTEs, reflecting the relatively higher impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on older adults.

The Relationship between Lifetime Exposure to Potentially Traumatic Events, Peritraumatic Dissociation, and PTSD in a Sample of Sexually Assaulted Women in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Sexually assaulted women represent a particularly high-risk group for developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Potentially traumatic events (PTEs) and peritraumatic dissociation (PD) are known risk factors for PTSD. However, little is known about how previous trauma affects PD and how this relationship affects PTSD. We aimed to investigate whether PD acts as a mediator between PTEs and PTSD severity in a sample of recently sexually assaulted women in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Seventy-four sexually assaulted women aged 18-44 completed questionnaires and structured interviews on PTSD, PD, and PTEs. We examined direct and indirect effects of variables using causal mediation analysis. Lifetime exposure to PTEs was a risk factor for PD, but PD was not a risk factor for PTSD symptom severity. Also, PD was not a mediator between PTEs and PTSD severity. We provided recommendations on how to further explore the relationship between lifetime traumatic exposure, PTSD, and peritraumatic dissociation.

Social Functioning in Individuals Affected by Childhood Maltreatment: Establishing a Research Agenda to Inform Interventions.

Childhood maltreatment (CM) is linked to impairments in various domains of social functioning. Here, we argue that it is critical to identify factors that underlie impaired social functioning as well as processes that mediate the beneficial health effects of positive relationships in individuals exposed to CM. Key research recommendations are presented, focusing on: (1) identifying attachment-related alterations in specific inter- and intrapersonal processes (e.g., regulation of closeness and distance) that underlie problems in broader domains of social functioning (e.g., lack of perceived social support) in individuals affected by CM; (2) identifying internal (e.g., current emotional state) and external situational factors (e.g., cultural factors, presence of close others) that modulate alterations in specific social processes; and (3) identifying mechanisms that explain the positive health effects of intact social functioning. Methodological recommendations include: (1) assessing social processes through interactive and (close to) real-life assessments inside and outside the laboratory; (2) adopting an interdisciplinary, lifespan perspective to assess social processes, using multi-method assessments; (3) establishing global research collaborations to account for cultural influences on social processes and enable replications across laboratories and countries. The proposed line of research will contribute to globally develop and refine interventions that prevent CM and further positive relationships, which - likely through buffering the effects of chronic stress and corresponding allostatic load - foster resilience and improve mental and physical health, thereby reducing personal suffering and the societal and economic costs of CM and its consequences. Interventions targeting euthymia and psychological well-being are promising therapeutic concepts in this context.

Validation of the Indonesian resilience evaluation scale in an undergraduate student population.

BACKGROUND: Psychological resilience is an important factor in coping with Potentially Traumatic Events (PTEs) and might mitigate the development of trauma-related disorders. Due to the high risk of natural disasters, criminal activity, and transportation accidents among the Indonesian population, it is critical to assess psychological resilience as a protective factor. This study aimed to validate the Resilience Evaluation Scale (RES) in Indonesian undergraduate students. METHODS: We recruited 327 students (78% female, the mean age is 19.61 (SD = 1.24)) between March and June 2020 using convenience sampling, 256 (78.28%) of whom completed the RES twice with an interval of 2 weeks for test-retest reliability purposes. Parallel Analysis and Exploratory Factor Analysis were performed to examine the construct validity of the RES. The internal consistency and the test-retest reliability were assessed using Cronbach Alpha, Pearson Correlations, and Interclass Correlation Coefficients (ICC). Convergent and divergent validity were examined using Pearson Correlations. RESULTS: EFA analysis yielded a two-factor structure for the final eight-item Indonesian version of RES, which reflected two underlying constructs of resilience: self-confidence and self-efficacy. The Indonesian version of RES demonstrated good internal consistency (α = 0.74-0.82) and test-retest reliability (r = 0.68-0.78; ICC = 0.67-0.78). The result showed that the RES total and subscale scores positively correlated with all criterion variables (resilience, self-efficacy, self-esteem, level of global functioning, and adaptive coping strategy; r = 0.27-0.73). RES total and subscale scores negatively correlated with opposite constructs (PTSD, depression, social/work impairment, and maladaptive coping strategy; r = - 0.27- -0.46). CONCLUSIONS: The current study showed that the Indonesian RES is a valid and reliable measurement of psychological resilience in Indonesian undergraduate students. The final 8-item Indonesian RES, a freely available resilience instrument, is recommended for future studies and public mental health initiatives in the Indonesian population.

Temporal trends in health worker social media communication during the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare professionals are exposed to extreme hazards and workplace stressors. Social media postings by physicians and nurses related to COVID-19 from January 21 to June 1, 2020 were obtained from the Reddit website. Topic modeling via Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) using a machine-learning approach was performed on 1723 documents, each posted in a unique Reddit discussion. We selected the optimal number of topics using a heuristic approach based on examination of the rate of perplexity change (RPC) across LDA models. A two-step multiple linear regression was done to identify differences across time and between nurses versus physicians. Prevalent topics included excessive workload, positive emotional expression and collegial support, anger and frustration, testing positive for COVID-19 and treatment, use of personal protective equipment, impacts on healthcare jobs, disruption of medical procedures, and general healthcare issues. Nurses' posts initially reflected concern about workload, personal danger, safety precautions, and emotional support to their colleagues. Physicians posted initially more often than nurses about technical aspects of the coronavirus disease, medical equipment, and treatment. Differences narrowed over time: nurses increasingly made technical posts, while physicians' posts increasingly were in the personal domain, suggesting a convergence of the professions over time.

A first insight into the clinical manifestation of posttraumatic stress disorder in dementia: a systematic literature review.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a prevalent disorder worldwide and often co-occurs in dementia. Both have a major impact on disease burden and quality of life. PTSD may be difficult to recognize in dementia and a structured diagnostic method is lacking. In order to get insight into the clinical diagnostics of PTSD in dementia, this systematic literature review evaluates the clinical presentation of PTSD and other relevant symptoms in people with dementia. PubMed, PsycINFO, Embase, and CINAHL were searched for all publications through 30 December 2021. Articles were included which met the following criteria: (i) description of at least one case with a current diagnosis of dementia and co-morbid PTSD; (ii) clinical presentation of symptoms being adequately described; (iii) no difference being made between chronic PTSD, PTSD with re-activation, and delayed onset PTSD. Of the 947 identified abstracts, 13 papers met the inclusion criteria and were included (describing 30 cases). Based on our rating, only one case completely fulfilled the DSM-5 criteria of PTSD. Avoidance was only described in three cases. Most commonly described symptoms were irritability and anger (E1, 9%), persistent negative emotional state (D4, 9%), and sleep disturbances (E6, 8%). In 93% of the case reports, other symptoms were also described, i.e. memory problems (58%), screaming (33.3%), and wandering (22.2%). People with dementia who have experienced a traumatic event seem to present, based on our rating method, with insufficient symptoms to meet all criteria for a PTSD DSM-5 diagnosis. The DSM-5 core symptom of avoidance was absent in most of the cases. Clinical presentation consists mainly of symptoms of irritability, anger, persistent negative emotional state, and sleep disturbances, often accompanied by other symptoms. These findings suggest that older people with dementia may have other symptom presentations than people without dementia.

Posttraumatic stress disorder symptom trajectories within the first year following emergency department admissions: pooled results from the International Consortium to predict PTSD.

BACKGROUND: Research exploring the longitudinal course of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms has documented four modal trajectories (low, remitting, high, and delayed), with proportions varying across studies. Heterogeneity could be due to differences in trauma types and patient demographic characteristics. METHODS: This analysis pooled data from six longitudinal studies of adult survivors of civilian-related injuries admitted to general hospital emergency departments (EDs) in six countries (pooled N = 3083). Each study included at least three assessments of the clinician-administered PTSD scale in the first post-trauma year. Latent class growth analysis determined the proportion of participants exhibiting various PTSD symptom trajectories within and across the datasets. Multinomial logistic regression analyses examined demographic characteristics, type of event leading to the injury, and trauma history as predictors of trajectories differentiated by their initial severity and course. RESULTS: Five trajectories were found across the datasets: Low (64.5%), Remitting (16.9%), Moderate (6.7%), High (6.5%), and Delayed (5.5%). Female gender, non-white race, prior interpersonal trauma, and assaultive injuries were associated with increased risk for initial PTSD reactions. Female gender and assaultive injuries were associated with risk for membership in the Delayed (v. Low) trajectory, and lower education, prior interpersonal trauma, and assaultive injuries with risk for membership in the High (v. Remitting) trajectory. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that over 30% of civilian-related injury survivors admitted to EDs experience moderate-to-high levels of PTSD symptoms within the first post-trauma year, with those reporting assaultive violence at increased risk of both immediate and longer-term symptoms.

Trauma, PTSD, and complex PTSD in the Republic of Ireland: prevalence, service use, comorbidity, and risk factors.

PURPOSE: This study represents the first assessment of the prevalence of trauma exposure, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Complex PTSD (CPTSD), ever conducted in the general population of the Republic of Ireland. Additionally, prevalence of past-year mental health service use, comorbidity with major depression and generalized anxiety, and risk factors associated with PTSD and CPTSD were assessed. METHODS: A nationally representative sample of non-institutionalized Irish adults (N = 1020) completed self-report measures of trauma history, trauma-related psychopathology, mental health service use, and concurrent mental health problems. RESULTS: Lifetime exposure to one or more traumatic events was 82.3%, and 67.8% reported experiencing two or more traumatic events. Males and females significantly differed in their frequency of exposure to eight of 16 traumatic events. The past-month prevalence for PTSD was 5.0% (95% CI 3.7%, 6.3%) and 7.7% (95% CI 6.1%, 9.4%) for CPTSD. Of those who screened positive for PTSD or CPTSD, 48.6% accessed mental health care in the past year. Comorbidity with major depression and generalized anxiety was high, especially among those with CPTSD. Several unique and shared risk factors for PTSD and CPTSD were identified. CONCLUSION: Approximately one-in-eight Irish adults met diagnostic requirements for PTSD or CPTSD, and comorbidity with other disorders was high. History of interpersonal trauma and exposure to multiple types of trauma in different developmental periods were associated with CPTSD. Many individuals did not access mental health care revealing a substantial mental health treatment gap.

Correction: Mobile Insight in Risk, Resilience, and Online Referral (MIRROR): Psychometric Evaluation of an Online Self-Help Test.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.2196/19716.].

Effectiveness of a guided ACT-based self-help resilience training for depressive symptoms during pregnancy: Study protocol of a randomized controlled trial embedded in a prospective cohort.

BACKGROUND: During pregnancy, about 10 to 20% of women experience depressive symptoms. Subclinical depression increases the risk of peripartum depression, maternal neuro-endocrine dysregulations, and adverse birth and infant outcomes. Current treatments often comprise face-to-face psychological or pharmacological treatments that may be too intensive for women with subclinical depression leading to drop-out and moderate effectiveness. Therefore, easily accessible, resilience enhancing and less stigmatizing interventions are needed to prevent the development of clinical depression. This paper describes the protocol of a prospective cohort study with an embedded randomized controlled trial (RCT) that aims to improve mental resilience in a sample of pregnant women through a self-help program based on the principles of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Maternal and offspring correlates of the trajectories of peripartum depressive symptoms will also be studied. METHODS: Pregnant women (≥ 18 years) receiving care in Dutch midwifery practices will participate in a prospective cohort study (n ~ 3500). Between 12 and 18 weeks of pregnancy, all women will be screened for depression with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Women with an EPDS score ≥ 11 will be evaluated with a structured clinical interview. Participants with subclinical depression (n = 290) will be randomized to a 9-week guided self-help ACT-training or to care as usual (CAU). Primary outcomes (depressive symptoms and resilience) and secondary outcomes (e.g. anxiety and PTSD, bonding, infant development) will be collected via online questionnaires at four prospective assessments around 20 weeks and 30 weeks gestation and at 6 weeks and 4 months postpartum. Maternal hair cortisol concentrations will be assessed in a subsample of women with a range of depressive symptoms (n = 300). The intervention's feasibility will be assessed through qualitative interviews in a subsample of participants (n = 20). DISCUSSION: This is the first study to assess the effectiveness of an easy to administer intervention strategy to prevent adverse mental health effects through enhancing resilience in pregnant women with antepartum depressive symptomatology. This longitudinal study will provide insights into trajectories of peripartum depressive symptoms in relation to resilience, maternal cortisol, psychological outcomes, and infant developmental milestones. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Netherlands Trial Register (NTR), NL7499 . Registered 5 February 2019.

Mobile Insight in Risk, Resilience, and Online Referral (MIRROR): Psychometric Evaluation of an Online Self-Help Test.

BACKGROUND: Most people who experience a potentially traumatic event (PTE) recover on their own. A small group of individuals develops psychological complaints, but this is often not detected in time or guidance to care is suboptimal. To identify these individuals and encourage them to seek help, a web-based self-help test called Mobile Insight in Risk, Resilience, and Online Referral (MIRROR) was developed. MIRROR takes an innovative approach since it integrates both negative and positive outcomes of PTEs and time since the event and provides direct feedback to the user. OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to assess MIRROR's use, examine its psychometric properties (factor structure, internal consistency, and convergent and divergent validity), and evaluate how well it classifies respondents into different outcome categories compared with reference measures. METHODS: MIRROR was embedded in the website of Victim Support Netherlands so visitors could use it. We compared MIRROR's outcomes to reference measures of PTSD symptoms (PTSD Checklist for DSM-5), depression, anxiety, stress (Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21), psychological resilience (Resilience Evaluation Scale), and positive mental health (Mental Health Continuum Short Form). RESULTS: In 6 months, 1112 respondents completed MIRROR, of whom 663 also completed the reference measures. Results showed good internal consistency (interitem correlations range .24 to .55, corrected item-total correlations range .30 to .54, and Cronbach alpha coefficient range .62 to .68), and convergent and divergent validity (Pearson correlations range -.259 to .665). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (EFA+CFA) yielded a 2-factor model with good model fit (CFA model fit indices: χ219=107.8, P<.001, CFI=.965, TLI=.948, RMSEA=.065), conceptual meaning, and parsimony. MIRROR correctly classified respondents into different outcome categories compared with the reference measures. CONCLUSIONS: MIRROR is a valid and reliable self-help test to identify negative (PTSD complaints) and positive outcomes (psychosocial functioning and resilience) of PTEs. MIRROR is an easily accessible online tool that can help people who have experienced a PTE to timely identify psychological complaints and find appropriate support, a tool that might be highly needed in times like the coronavirus pandemic.

Correction to: Evaluating a screener to quantify PTSD risk using emergency care information: a proof of concept study.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.