The role of prior trauma exposure and subsequent posttraumatic stress disorder in reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study.

OBJECTIVE: A growing body of literature suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic is a traumatic stressor capable of causing posttraumatic stress symptoms. People with a history of trauma, particularly those with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), may be particularly vulnerable to the negative mental health impacts of the pandemic. However, qualitative research exploring potential differences in the lived experiences of and reactions to COVID-19 between people with and without PTSD is lacking. METHOD: Semistructured interviews were conducted with 31 women (n = 15 women with probable PTSD, n = 16 women without probable PTSD) recruited from an ongoing U.S.-based cohort study. Themes were identified using inductive thematic analysis. RESULTS: The majority of women with PTSD described their level of fear or perceived safety related to COVID-19 as a major factor influencing their mental health during the pandemic. In contrast, women without PTSD indicated that their level of distress was largely driven by pandemic-related restrictions on normal activities and family events. Many women with PTSD also described feeling anger or frustration toward people they perceived as not taking the COVID-19 pandemic seriously. Only one participant without PTSD expressed similar feelings. CONCLUSIONS: This study found notable differences in reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic between people with and without PTSD, with findings that are likely relevant to future disasters. These findings can inform the development of preparedness policies for future disasters, pandemics, or other collective traumas to prevent distress and improve mental health, particularly for vulnerable populations such as individuals with preexisting PTSD. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Loss of control eating during pregnancy is associated with excessive gestational weight gain among individuals with overweight and obesity.

BACKGROUND: Excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) predicts negative health outcomes among individuals with overweight or obesity. Loss of control eating (LOC), the ingestion of food associated with being unable to control eating, is the core psychopathology of binge eating disorders. We evaluated the contribution of LOC to GWG among pregnant individuals with prepregnancy overweight/obesity. METHODS: In a prospective longitudinal study, individuals with prepregnancy BMI ≥ 25 (N = 257) were interviewed monthly to assess LOC and reported demographic, parity, and smoking information. GWG was abstracted from medical records. RESULTS: Among individuals with prepregnancy overweight/obesity, 39% endorsed LOC prior to or during pregnancy. After adjusting for factors that have previously been linked to GWG, LOC during pregnancy, uniquely predicted higher GWG and greater likelihood of exceeding GWG recommendations. Participants with prenatal LOC gained 3.14 kg (p = 0.03) more than did those without LOC during pregnancy and 78.7% (n = 48/61) exceeded IOM guidelines for GWG. The frequency of LOC episodes was also associated with greater weight gain. CONCLUSIONS: Prenatal LOC is common among pregnant individuals with overweight/obesity and predicts greater GWG and increased likelihood of exceeding IOM GWG guidelines. LOC may represent a modifiable behavioral mechanism to prevent excessive GWG among individuals at risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes.