Problematic online behaviors and psychopathology in Australia.

This study aimed to ascertain frequency rates and predictors of six problematic online behaviors (POBs) in an Australian sample. Participants (N = 1626) completed instruments measuring problematic online gaming, cyberchondria, problematic cybersex, problematic online shopping, problematic use of social networking sites, problematic online gambling, anxiety, depression and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Each POB was presumed to be present based on the cut-off score on the corresponding instrument and at least one indicator of interference with functioning. Generalized linear model analyses were used to determine socio-demographic and psychopathological predictors of each POB. The most common POB was problematic online shopping (12.2%), followed by problematic online gambling (11.4%), problematic use of social networking sites (6.0%), problematic cybersex (5.3%), problematic online gaming (5.2%) and cyberchondria (4.6%). Age group 27-36 had the highest rates of POBs. The intensity of ADHD symptoms predicted all POBs, whereas younger age predicted all POBs except for problematic cybersex and online gambling. Female gender predicted lower scores on the measures of problematic online gaming and cybersex. These findings have implications for age- and gender-adapted education, prevention and treatment efforts and suggest that specific POBs should be investigated separately instead of lumping them together under the umbrella terms such as "Internet addiction".

Prevalence of body dysmorphic disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is characterised by a preoccupation with a perceived defect in appearance. This preoccupation results in the completion of repetitive/time consuming behaviours to reduce distress. While the disorder results in considerable distress and impairment, the prevalence of the disorder is largely unknown, as BDD has not been examined in large epidemiological studies. The aim of the current study was to provide an estimate of BDD prevalence in a variety of settings using a meta-analytic approach using only studies that have made a diagnosis using a structured diagnostic interview. Twenty-two studies met criteria (n = 7159) and the pooled point-prevalence estimate for BDD was 11.3% across all studies with high levels of heterogeneity (I2 = 95.81). The pooled point-prevalence estimate was 20.0% in cosmetic/dermatology settings, 7.4% in mental health settings, and 6.7% in 'other' settings (including students and professional ballet dancers). The risk of bias assessment indicated questionable methodological quality in some of the included studies. While this study provides an important improvement on the existing literature there is a need to include BDD in epidemiological studies in order to have a more accurate understanding of the prevalence rate of this mental health condition in the community.

Predictors of alcohol and substance use among people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): findings from the NESARC-III study.

PURPOSE: The self-medication hypothesis suggests people may develop Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) or Non-Alcohol Substance Use Disorder (NA-SUD) following PTSD as a maladaptive way of coping with PTSD symptoms. Given that an accumulation of trauma experiences and interpersonal trauma increase the likelihood and severity of PTSD, we sought to determine whether the number and type of traumas additionally predict AUD and NA-SUD following PTSD. METHODS: We analysed data from 36,309 adult participants in the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions-III (NESARC-III) study (M = 45.63 years, SD = 17.53, 56.3% female) who were administered semi-structured diagnostic interviews of trauma exposure and PTSD, AUD and NA-SUD symptoms. RESULTS: Individuals with PTSD were more likely to have an AUD or NA-SUD than those without PTSD. Endorsement of a greater number of traumas was associated with greater odds of having PTSD, AUD, or NA-SUD. Experience of interpersonal trauma was related to greater odds of having PTSD and subsequent AUD or NA-SUD than not experiencing interpersonal trauma. Multiple experiences of interpersonal trauma compared to one interpersonal trauma exposure also increased the odds of having PTSD followed by AUD or NA-SUD. CONCLUSIONS: Interpersonal trauma and multiple experiences of interpersonal trauma may result in individuals turning to alcohol and substances as a way to alleviate intolerable PTSD symptomology, aligning with the self-medication hypothesis. Our findings highlight the importance of ensuring services and support for interpersonal trauma survivors and for those who have experienced multiple traumas given their increased for unfavourable outcomes.

A single case series of imagery rescripting of intrusive autobiographical memories in depression.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Intrusive memories are a common feature of depression, thought to be related to the onset and maintenance of the disorder. Intrusive memories have been successfully targeted in posttraumatic stress disorder through imagery rescripting. Yet there is limited evidence for the effectiveness of this technique in depression. We examined whether 12 weekly sessions of imagery rescripting was associated with reductions in depression, rumination and intrusive memories in a sample of patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). METHODS: Fifteen clinically depressed participants completed 12 weeks of imagery rescripting treatment while completing daily measures of depression symptoms, rumination and intrusive memory frequency. RESULTS: There were significant reductions on pre-post treatment and daily assessment measures of depression symptoms, rumination and intrusive memories. Reductions in depression symptoms represented a large effect size, while 13 participants (87%) showed reliable improvement and 12 participants (80%) demonstrated clinically significant improvement and no longer met diagnostic criteria for MDD. LIMITATIONS: The sample size was small, however the intensive daily assessment protocol ensured the viability of within-person analyses. CONCLUSIONS: Imagery rescripting as a stand-alone intervention appears to be effective at reducing depression symptoms. Additionally, the treatment was well tolerated by clients and observed to overcome several traditional treatment barriers in this population.

Association between unmet post-arrival expectations and psychological symptoms in recently arrived refugees.

Thwarted expectations regarding one's post-settlement life may challenge the mental health of refugees. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between pre-arrival expectations and the course of psychological symptoms across time. A secondary analysis of 1,496 principal visa applicants across five waves of the Building a New Life in Australia (BNLA) study was conducted. The cross-sectional associations between expectations on the one hand, and post-traumatic stress (PTSD-8) symptoms and psychological distress (Kessler-6; K6) on the other, were assessed using multiple regression. Latent class growth analysis (LCGA) was used to identify discrete symptom trajectories of psychological symptoms across five years following settlement, and multinomial regressions were used to determine if violated expectations predicted membership of identified PTSD-8 and K6 class trajectories. LCGA supported a four-class solution for the PTSD-8 "Resilient Post Traumatic Stress (PTS)" (54.1%), "Improving PTS" (15.0%), "Deteriorating PTS" (17.3%), and "Persistently High PTS" (13.6%). For the K6, three classes were identified: "Persistently Mild K6" (60.4%), "Resilient K6" (9.4%), and "Persistently High K6" (30.2%). Thwarted expectations were found to significantly predict membership of less favourable symptom trajectories classes in the context of other established predictors. Post-settlement expectations may thus have weak but unique predictive value for the course of psychological symptoms alongside other factors such as older age and financial stress. Implications of these findings for service provision and policy are discussed.

Shame Mediates the Relationship Between Negative Trauma Attributions and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Symptoms in a Trauma Exposed Sample.

Background: Theoretical models of self-conscious emotions indicate that shame is elicited through internal, stable, and global causal attributions of the precipitating event. The current study aimed to investigate whether these negative attributions are related to trauma-related shame and PTSD symptom severity. Method: A total of 658 participants aged 18 to 89 (M = 33.42; SD = 12.17) with a history of trauma exposure completed a range of self-report measures assessing trauma exposure, negative trauma-related attributions, shame, and PTSD symptoms. Results: Higher levels of internal, stable, and global trauma-related attributions were significantly associated with shame and PTSD. Shame mediated the association between trauma-related attributions and PTSD symptom severity, even after controlling for the effects of number of trauma exposures, worst index trauma and depression. Conclusions: The present results suggest that negative attributions are a critical cognitive component related to shame and in turn, PTSD symptom severity. Future research should aim to replicate these findings in a clinical sample and extend these findings using prospective designs.

The mental health of Farsi-Dari speaking asylum-seeking children and parents facing insecure residency in Australia.

Background: This research examined the mental health of a cohort of asylum-seeking children, adolescents and their primary caregiver affected by insecure residency while living in the community, compared to refugees and immigrants. Methods: The project investigated the prevalence of psychosocial problems among Iranian and Afghani asylum seeker, refugee and immigrant children and adolescents, and their caregivers who arrived in Australia from 2010. In total, n=196 children and adolescents aged 5-18 years, and their primary caregiver were asked about family visa status, country of origin, level of education, parent symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (Harvard Trauma Questionnaire) and child wellbeing (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire). An additional n=362 Farsi and Dari speaking children, recruited through the Building a New Life in Australia (BNLA) study, a national comparison sample of families with permanent refugee visas, were included. Findings: Asylum seeker children and adolescents displayed significantly more psychosocial problems compared to those with full refugee protection and immigrant background within the current sample and when benchmarked against a national sample of Farsi-Dari speaking refugee children. Higher parental posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms was associated with poorer child and adolescent psychosocial functioning. This effect was more marked in families with insecure residency. Interpretation: Insecure visa status is associated with higher rates of children's mental health problems and a stronger association with parental PTSD symptoms compared to children with secure residency. This raises important questions about Australia's restrictive immigration policies. Funding: This project was supported by an Australian Rotary Health Research Fund / Mental Health of Young Australians Research Grant and by the Australian Research Council (DP160104378).

Testing the spectrum hypothesis of problematic online behaviors: A network analysis approach.

The validity of the constructs of problematic Internet or smartphone use and Internet or smartphone addiction has been extensively debated. The spectrum hypothesis posits that problematic online behaviors (POBs) may be conceptualized within a spectrum of related yet distinct entities. To date, the hypothesis has received preliminary support, and further robust empirical studies are still needed. The present study tested the spectrum hypothesis of POBs in an Australian community sample (n = 1,617) using a network analysis approach. Psychometrically validated self-report instruments were used to assess six types of POBs: problematic online gaming, cyberchondria, problematic cybersex, problematic online shopping, problematic use of social networking sites, and problematic online gambling. A tetrachoric correlation matrix was computed to explore relationships between online activities and a network analysis was used to analyze relationships between POBs. Correlations between online activities were positive and significant, but of small magnitude (0.051 ≤ r ≤ 0.236). The community detection analysis identified six distinct communities, corresponding to each POB, with strong relationships between items within each POB and weaker relationships between POBs. These findings provide further empirical support for the spectrum hypothesis, suggesting that POBs occur as distinct entities and with little overlap.

Improving Parent-Child Relationships for Young Parents in the Shadow of Complex Trauma: A Single-Case Experimental Design Series.

This study provides a preliminary evaluation of a dyadic intervention for young parents with a history of complex trauma, Holding Hands Young Parents (HHYP). Four mothers (17-22 years) and toddlers (12-33 months) completed the intervention, designed to improve parent-child relationships, parental self-regulation, self-efficacy and mental health, and child behaviour/emotional problems. An A-B single case experimental design series with follow-up and randomised baseline, used observational and self-report measures throughout. Linear mixed models demonstrated improvement in reciprocity and parental sensitivity over the treatment phase, with no evidence of shifts in scores at beginning or end of treatment. There was no evidence for changes in child engagement, negative states, intrusiveness or withdrawal. Reliable Change Index indicated improvement in parent-reported self-regulation, self-efficacy, stress and child emotional/behavioural problems from baseline to follow-up for all four mothers; depression showed reliable change for three. This study demonstrates relational change between young parents and their toddlers and provides preliminary data on the HHYP protocol.

Visuospatial Working Memory Tasks May Not Reduce the Intensity or Distress of Intrusive Memories.

Cognitive interventions involving visuospatial tasks, such as the game "Tetris" have demonstrated efficacy in reducing the frequency of intrusive memories. However, it remains unclear whether these tasks also reduce the perceived intensity and distress of these memories. We investigated whether either of two visuospatial tasks: a Tetris intervention or Digital Corsi task, following the viewing of an analog trauma (film) resulted in decreased intensity and distress for intrusive memories over the following week, when compared to a control condition. Participants (n = 110) were randomly assigned to task conditions after viewing the film. Linear mixed models indicated no between-group differences for reductions in intensity or distress over the course of the week. These findings highlight an important boundary to the benefits of such visuospatial tasks, in that while they may be associated with reductions in intrusion memory frequency, individuals may nonetheless continue to experience distress when intrusions do occur.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom profiles among people who have experienced abuse: Findings from the NESARC-III study.

Greater recognition of diversity in psychological responses to traumatic events has led to increased exploration of posttrauma symptom typologies and risk factors for more "complex" presentations. OBJECTIVES: We sought to identify unique PTSD symptom profiles associated with the experience of physical and sexual abuse and to determine whether exposure in childhood, type of abuse, frequency of abuse and familial support were associated with profiles indicating increased symptom complexity. METHOD: We analyzed data from 6,769 American adults (M = 43.93 years, SD = 15.35, 70.9% female) from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions-III who reported histories of physical or sexual abuse. Latent Class Analysis was used to identify distinct profiles of the twenty PTSD symptoms outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5). Abuse in childhood, type of abuse, frequency of childhood abuse, emotional support in childhood and a range of demographic variables were compared across classes. RESULTS: Five classes were educed: High All (19.6%), Threat (14.4%), Dysphoric (13.7%), Moderate Threat (29.4%) and Low Symptom (22.9%). Contrary to our hypotheses, trauma exposure in childhood did not predict class membership while type of abuse did. The High All and Dysphoric classes had greater frequency of childhood abuse, lower support in childhood, and a history of sexual abuse when compared to their less complex, predominantly fear-based counterparts (Threat and Moderate Threat classes, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: These constellations of DSM-5 PTSD symptoms may be a proxy for increased "complexity" and may indicate a need for alternative or additional therapeutic interventions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation: Influence on Stress and Early Responsiveness Outcomes for Depression, Anxiety, and Stress.

The present study investigated whether rTMS treatment for depression reduced stress and whether early responsiveness of rTMS predicted outcomes for depression, anxiety, and stress at the conclusion of treatment. Participants (n = 109) were inpatients at a psychiatric hospital referred for rTMS for depression. Linear mixed models were used to analyse data across time and regression analyses were used to assess early responsiveness. Effect sizes, and clinically significant and reliable change were also analysed. Decreases in scores for depression, anxiety, and stress were evident from pre- to mid-treatment, and from mid- to post-treatment. Large effect sizes were reported from pre- to post-treatment for depression and stress. Changes in depression from pre- to mid-treatment predicted post-treatment depression and stress scores. Clinically significant change was most common for stress and reliable change was most common for depression. Standard rTMS treatment for depression appears to have non-specific benefits in that participant anxiety and stress ratings also improve significantly. Early improvements in depressive symptoms may be indicative of later depression and stress outcomes, suggesting clinical benefit in assessing outcomes during rTMS treatment.

Anger and predictors of drop-out from PTSD treatment of veterans and first responders.

BACKGROUND: Drop-out is an important barrier in treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with consequences that negatively impact clients, clinicians and mental health services as a whole. Anger is a common experience in people with PTSD and is more prevalent in military veterans. To date, no research has examined if anger may predict drop-out in military veterans or first responders. AIMS: The present study aimed to determine the variables that predict drop-out among individuals receiving residential treatment for PTSD. METHOD: Ninety-five military veterans and first responders completed pre-treatment measures of PTSD symptom severity, depression, anxiety, anger, and demographic variables. Logistic regression analyses were used to determine if these variables predicted drop-out from treatment or patterns of attendance. RESULTS: Female gender was predictive of drop-out. However, when analysed by occupation female gender was predictive of drop-out among first responders and younger age was predictive of drop-out in military participants. Anger, depression, anxiety and PTSD symptom severity were not predictive of drop-out in any of the analyses. No variables were found to predict attendance patterns (consistent or inconsistent) or early versus late drop-out from the programme. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that although anger is a relevant issue for treating PTSD, other factors may be more pertinent to drop-out, particularly in this sample. In contrast with other findings, female gender was predictive of drop-out in this study. This may indicate that in this sample, there are unique characteristics and possible interacting variables that warrant exploration in future research.

Changes in intolerance of uncertainty over the course of treatment predict posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms in an inpatient sample.

Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) is the inability to tolerate distress that arises in response to the absence of important information. The level of IU has been investigated across various psychological disorders; however, few studies have examined IU in trauma-affected samples. We aimed to investigate the relationship between IU and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) across the course of treatment. Participants (n = 106) had a diagnosis of PTSD and were from first responder, military, and occupational injury backgrounds. Participants completed self-report questionnaires pre- and post-engagement in an inpatient group trauma-informed psychoeducation and skills (TIPS) intervention. Regression analyses indicated that decreases in overall and inhibitory IU were associated with decreases in PTSD severity overall and at the symptom cluster level. However, prospective IU was only associated with changes in the re-experiencing, avoidance, and arousal PTSD symptom clusters. Our findings are congruent with the nascent literature indicating that IU may be a maintaining factor for PTSD, suggesting clinical relevance for attendance to IU within the course of treatment.

Trauma-focused psychotherapies for post-traumatic stress disorder: A systematic review and network meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Meta-analytic reviews suggest similar outcomes across trauma-focused psychotherapies for adults with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, this conclusion may be premature due to suboptimal statistical-review methodologies. Network meta-analysis (NMA) allows a detailed rank-ordering of the efficacy of established psychotherapy interventions derived from indirect evidence as well as results from direct head-to-head comparisons. OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine the efficacy and attrition rates of psychotherapy interventions for PTSD by applying NMA. METHODS: We searched EMBASE, PsychINFO, PTSDPubs and PubMed for randomised controlled trials that compared psychotherapies either head-to-head or against controls for adults with PTSD. A frequentist NMA was used to compare direct and indirect effects to determine the efficacy and attrition rates of psychotherapy interventions. RESULTS: Of the 5649 papers identified, 82 trials comprising of 5838 patients were included. The network comprised 17 psychotherapies and four control conditions. Network estimates indicated superior efficacy of meta-cognitive therapy and cognitive processing therapy over other psychotherapies (ESs between = 0.26 and 2.32). Written exposure therapy and narrative exposure therapy were associated with lower risk of drop out when considered alongside other psychotherapies. Confidence in the network meta-analytic estimates was considered moderate for both outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: In broad terms, therapeutic commensurability was evident. Nevertheless, with additional studies and larger sample sizes, meta-cognitive and written exposure therapies could indeed differentiate themselves from other approaches as having favourable efficacy and acceptability respectively. These findings may inform clinical decision-making, as well as guide future research for PTSD.

Reciprocal relationships between employment status and psychological symptoms: findings from the Building a New Life in Australia study.

BACKGROUND: Finding work is an important priority for many refugees in the initial years following settlement in a host country. Difficulties in finding work could conceivably both contribute to and be a consequence of symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and psychological distress commonly reported by refugees. PURPOSE: We sought to determine the direction of these relationships and the possibility of a reciprocal association between employment status on one hand, and symptoms of PTSD and psychological distress on the other, in a large refugee sample. METHODS: A secondary analysis of three face-to-face interview assessments conducted across 5 years with 894 adult refugee participants (M = 39.9 years, SD = 12.8) from the Building a New Life in Australia study was conducted. Symptoms of psychological distress, posttraumatic stress, and employment status were assessed on each occasion. Preliminary analysis identified the cross-sectional relationships between psychological distress, PTSD symptoms, and employment status, while cross-lagged models were used to identify the longitudinal relationships between these respective symptoms. RESULTS: Symptoms of psychological distress and not being in paid work were significantly correlated with each other at each time point (ranging 0.09-0.25) and they reciprocally influenced each other over time. Likewise, PTSD symptoms and not being in paid work were correlated with each other after 3 years and 5 years (r = 0.21 and 0.23 respectively), and a reciprocal relationship between these was found over time. CONCLUSION: The current findings indicate that interventions which target either mental health or work opportunities could have multiple downstream benefits for refugees.

Unveiling the relationships between cyberchondria and psychopathological symptoms.

Cyberchondria is a clinical entity of excessive and repetitive online health-related searches, associated with health anxiety, obsessive-compulsive symptoms and intolerance of uncertainty. Its relationships with depressive and somatic symptoms have not yet received much attention. The purpose of this study was to examine the individual and comparative effects of several psychopathology constructs on the severity of cyberchondria. Through an online platform, participants (N = 749) completed specific self-report measures assessing the severity of cyberchondria, anxiety, intolerance of uncertainty, depressive, somatic, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Standard and hierarchical multiple regression analyses were used to assess how well the independent variables influenced the levels of cyberchondria, before and after controlling for age, education, and sex. When measures of all constructs were included in the analysis, all were significant predictors of cyberchondria levels, except for anxiety. Health anxiety made the strongest contribution. When age, education and sex were controlled for, all measures except for anxiety were also significant predictors of cyberchondria severity. Our study confirms that health anxiety, obsessive-compulsive symptoms and intolerance of uncertainty are all associated with cyberchondria severity, with health anxiety making the strongest unique contribution. Depression and somatic symptoms also predicted cyberchondria severity. These findings have important implications for research and clinical practice.

Prevalence and treatment implications of ICD-11 complex PTSD in Australian treatment-seeking current and ex-serving military members.

Background: Despite growing support for the distinction between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD (CPTSD) as separate diagnoses within the ICD-11 psychiatric taxonomy, the prevalence and treatment implications of CPTSD among current and ex-serving military members have not been established. Objective: The study aims were to a) establish the prevalence of provisional ICD-11 CPTSD diagnosis relative to PTSD in an Australian sample of treatment-seeking current and ex-serving military members, and b) examine the implications of CPTSD diagnosis for intake profile and treatment response. Methods: The study analysed data collected routinely from Australian-accredited treatment programmes for military-related PTSD. Participants were 480 current and ex-serving military members in this programmes who received a provisional ICD-11 diagnosis of PTSD or CPTSD at intake using proxy measures. Measures of PTSD symptoms, disturbances in self-organisation, psychological distress, mental health and social relationships were considered at treatment intake, discharge, and 3-month follow-up. Results: Among participants with a provisional ICD-11 diagnosis, 78.2% were classified as having CPTSD, while 21.8% were classified as having PTSD. When compared to ICD-11 PTSD, participants with CPTSD reported greater symptom severity and psychological distress at intake, and lower scores on relationship and mental health dimensions of the quality of life measure. These relative differences persisted at each post-treatment assessment. Decreases in PTSD symptoms between intake and discharge were similar across PTSD (d RM  = -0.81) and CPTSD (d RM  = -0.76) groups, and there were no significant post-treatment differences between groups when controlling for initial scores. Conclusions: CPTSD is common among treatment-seeking current and ex-serving military members, and is associated with initially higher levels of psychiatric severity, which persist over time. Participants with CPTSD were equally responsive to PTSD treatment; however, the tendency for those with CPTSD to remain highly symptomatic post-treatment suggests additional treatment components should be considered.

Antecedentes: A pesar del creciente apoyo para la distinción entre trastorno de estrés postraumático (TEPT) y trastorno de estrés postraumático complejo (TEPTC) como diagnósticos separados dentro de la taxonomía psiquiátrica de la CIE-11, la prevalencia y las implicaciones en el tratamiento del TEPTC dentro de miembros militares activos o en retiro no han sido establecidas.Objetivo: Los objetivos del estudio fueron a) establecer la prevalencia de TEPTC provisional según CIE-11 en relación al TEPT en una muestra australiana de miembros militares activos o en retiro en busca de tratamiento, y b) examinar las implicaciones del diagnóstico de TEPTC para el perfil de ingreso y respuesta a tratamiento.Método: El estudio analizó datos recolectados de forma rutinaria por programas de tratamiento australianos acreditados para TEPT relacionado a militares. Los participantes fueron 480 miembros activos o en retiro ingresados a este programa bajo el diagnóstico provisional de TEPT o TEPTC según CIE-11 a través de indicadores indirectos. Al ingreso, egreso y a los 3 meses de seguimiento, se consideraron mediciones de los síntomas de TEPT, alteraciones en la organización del Yo, estrés psicológico, salud mental y relaciones sociales.Resultados: Dentro de los participantes con un diagnóstico provisional según CIE-11, el 78,2% fue clasificado como portador de TEPTC, mientras que un 21,8% fue clasificado como portador de TEPT. Al ser comparados con TEPT según CIE-11, los participantes con TEPTC reportaron al ingreso una mayor severidad en la sintomatología y en el estrés psicológico, y menores puntajes en las dimensiones de medida de calidad de vida de salud mental y relaciones sociales. Estas diferencias relativas persistieron en cada seguimiento posterior al tratamiento. Las disminuciones en los síntomas de TEPT entre el ingreso y el egreso fueron similares entre los grupos con TEPT (d RM = -0.81) y TEPTC (d RM = -0.76), y no hubo diferencias significativas post-tratamiento entre los grupos al controlarlos según los puntajes iniciales. Conclusiones: El TEPTC es común dentro de miembros militares activos o en retiro en busca de tratamiento, y está asociado a mayores niveles de severidad psiquiátrica inicial, la cual persiste a lo largo del tiempo. Los participantes con TEPTC respondieron igualmente al tratamiento del TEPT; sin embargo, la tendencia de aquéllos con TEPTC de permanecer altamente sintomáticos tras el tratamiento sugiere componentes de tratamiento adicionales que deberían ser considerados.

Prevalence and onset of anxiety and related disorders throughout pregnancy: A prospective study in an Australian sample.

The aims of this study were to investigate the prevalence of anxiety and related disorders (e.g., obsessive-compulsive disorder [OCD]) and major depressive disorder (MDD) at any time during pregnancy and during each pregnancy trimester and ascertain the proportions of women with an onset of these disorders during pregnancy. Several questionnaires and the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview were administered to 200 women at each pregnancy trimester. Complete data were obtained from 148 participants. The most prevalent anxiety disorder at any time during pregnancy was panic disorder (PD), followed by generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) and OCD. Unlike all the other disorders, the prevalence rates of OCD increased steadily from the first to the third trimester. Approximately one half of women with OCD and about one third of women with PD, GAD and MDD at any time during pregnancy had an onset of these disorders during pregnancy. Pregnancy may be a risk factor for an onset of OCD and to a lesser extent, for an onset of PD, GAD and MDD. Absence of remission of OCD during pregnancy despite treatment may suggest treatment resistance of OCD at this time. These findings have implications for recognition, prevention and treatment of anxiety disorders during pregnancy.

Cyberchondria in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cyberchondria is an excessive or repeated online health information seeking that is associated with increasing levels of health anxiety or distress. This article presents a model of cyberchondria during public health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The factors that contribute to cyberchondria at this time include (a) a heightened perception of threat and fear of a newly identified and poorly understood disease; (b) difficulty in coping with uncertainty associated with the pandemic; (c) lack of authoritative and trustworthy sources of relevant health information; (d) difficulty in coping with abundance of information that is often confusing, conflicting, unverified and constantly updated, along with a decreased ability to filter out unnecessary information; and (e) inability of excessive online health information seeking to provide the necessary information and deliver reassurance. These factors amplify fear and distress, which increases the perception of threat and uncertainty and perpetuates further online health searches. Cyberchondria has significant public health implications because of the associated distress or functional impairment and effects on health behaviors. Cyberchondria should be addressed by targeting a heightened perception of threat, improving management of uncertainty and online health information and promoting an ability to critically appraise the results of online health searches. This should contribute to a better online health information literacy. The model of cyberchondria during the COVID-19 pandemic explains the hypothesized rise in cyberchondria during public health emergencies and helps to formulate a framework for prevention of cyberchondria and its effective management.