Prolonged exposure therapy for PTSD among spinal cord injury survivors: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

The National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center estimates 294,000 people in the US live with a spinal cord injury (SCI), with approximately 17,810 new cases each year. Although the physical outcomes associated with SCI have been widely studied, the psychological consequences of sustaining a SCI remain largely unexplored. Scant research has focused on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in this population, despite prevalence estimates suggesting that up to 60% of individuals with SCI experience PTSD post-injury, compared to only 7% of the general US population. Fortunately, prolonged exposure therapy (PE) is a well-researched and highly effective treatment for PTSD. However, no trauma focused exposure-based therapy for PTSD (e.g. PE) has not yet been tested in a SCI population. Thus, we aim to conduct the first test of an evidence-based intervention for PTSD among patients with SCI. Adults with SCI and PTSD (N = 60) will be randomly assigned to either: (1) 12-sessions of PE (2-3 sessions per week) or (2) a treatment as usual (TAU) control group who will receive the standard inpatient rehabilitation care for SCI patients. Primary outcomes will be assessed at 0, 6, 10, and 32 weeks.

Psychological morbidity and functional impairment following traumatic pelvic injury.

Pelvic injuries often result from high-energy trauma and lead to significant functional impairment. While the physical outcomes of these injuries have been widely studied, the psychological consequences remain largely unexplored. The purpose of this study was to examine psychosocial and functional outcomes of patients with pelvic trauma in the year after injury. The sample (N = 32) consisted of adult patients with traumatic pelvic injures, as defined by ICD-9 codes, who were admitted to a Level I Trauma Center for at least 24 h. Participants were primarily female (53%) with a mean age of 48.7 years (SD = 17.9). Demographic, injury-related, and psychosocial data (e.g., posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, alcohol use, quality of life, pain, return to work) were gathered at the time of hospitalization as well as at 3-, 6-, and 12 month follow-ups. Mixed regression models were used to examine the outcome variables over time. There were significant decreases in pain and alcohol use at each follow-up compared to baseline. However, despite the decrease, the levels of pain and alcohol use remained high. Physical and mental health also decreased significantly, indicating worsened functioning and lowered quality of life. Neither PTSD nor depression changed significantly over time, indicating that participants' symptoms were not likely to improve. These data suggest that sustaining a traumatic pelvic injury increases the risk of diminished quality of life, both mentally and physically. Even one-year post-injury, participants experienced moderate physical pain and higher levels of PTSD, depression, and problematic alcohol use than would be expected in the general population. These findings highlight the need for an interdisciplinary approach to treating patients with pelvic injuries, including psychological screening and intervention in acute care and throughout recovery.

Better with age? A comparison of geriatric and non-geriatric trauma patients' psychological outcomes 6 months post-injury.

This is the first study to compare both physical and psychological outcomes in geriatric and non-geriatric patients (n = 268) at baseline and 6 months post-trauma. Demographic, clinical, and psychological data, including screens for alcohol use, depressive symptoms, and post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) were collected from 67 geriatric patients (70.7 ± 8.0 years) and 201 non-geriatric patients (40.2 ± 12.8 years) admitted to a Level I trauma center for ≥ 24 h. Geriatric patients were significantly less likely to screen positive for alcohol use at baseline, and depression, PTSS, and alcohol use at follow-up. When not controlling for discharge to rehabilitation or nursing facility, geriatric patients had significantly lower odds of alcohol use at follow-up. There was no significant difference in injury severity, resilience, or pre-trauma psychological status between the two groups. Results indicate that geriatric trauma patients fare better than their younger counterparts at 6 months post-trauma on measures of alcohol use, depression, and PTSS. Screenings and interventions for both age groups could improve psychological health post-trauma, but younger patients may require additional attention.