The relationship of childhood trauma experiences with cognitive distortions and sense of coherence in nursing students.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to determine the relationship of childhood trauma experiences with cognitive distortions and sense of coherence in nursing students. DESIGN AND METHODS: This descriptive, correlational, and cross-sectional study was conducted with 359 nursing students. Data were collected using the Sociodemographic Information Form, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), Cognitive Distortions Scale (CDS), and Sense of Coherence (SOC). FINDINGS: A positive correlation between CTQ and CDS and a negative correlation between CTQ and SOC were determined (p < 0.05). It was concluded that the CTQ sexual abuse variable had a significant (p = 0.008) effect on the SOC meaningfulness subscale. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: It is thought that it is essential to strengthen nursing students in terms of childhood traumatic experiences, and the sense of coherence will contribute positively to this situation.

Repercussões do abuso sexual vivenciado na infância e adolescência: revisão integrativa / Impacts of sexual abuse in childhood and adolescence: an integrative review

Resumo O objetivo deste artigo é identificar as repercussões do abuso sexual experienciado na infância e na adolescência. Trata-se de uma revisão integrativa de literatura realizada no mês de setembro de 2018, a partir da base de dados da Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde. Para busca, associou-se os seguintes descritores: Abuso Sexual de Crianças e Adolescentes and (Adultos Sobreviventes de Abuso Sexual or Desenvolvimento Infantil), considerando como critérios de inclusão: artigos originais; disponíveis completos; publicados no período de 2013 a setembro de 2018; nos idiomas português, inglês e espanhol. Após a leitura dos títulos e dos resumos, selecionou-se 16 artigos, os quais foram lidos na íntegra e organizados através de uma tabela. Os estudos evidenciaram que pessoas que experienciam abuso sexual na infância e na adolescência apresentam repercussões de ordem psicológica, física, sexual e social, as quais perduram por toda vida. O estudo oferece subsídios para alertar profissionais de saúde quanto à necessidade de investigarem sinais e sintomas sugestivos de abuso sexual, visto que experienciar tal agravo traz inúmeras repercussões para vida das vítimas.

Abstract This article identifies the impacts of sexual abuse in childhood and adolescence. We conducted an integrative literature review in September 2018 using the Virtual Health Library. A search was conducted using the following descriptors: Sexual Abuse of Children and Adolescents and Sexual Abuse or Child Development. The inclusion criteria were open access full-text original articles published between 2013 and September 2018 in Portuguese, English or Spanish. Sixteen eligible articles were selected after reading the titles and abstracts. The full texts of these articles were read and organized into a table. The studies show that sexual abuse in childhood and adolescence has lifelong psychological, physical, sexual and social impacts. The findings of this study can help alert health care professionals to the importance of investigating the signs and symptoms of sexual abuse given the multiple impacts of abuse on victims' lives.

Adult frequent presentation to emergency departments and adverse childhood experiences: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Extensive literature reports the influence of childhood adversity on adult health, however few studies have explored these life antecedents in people who frequently present to the emergency department. This review synthesizes literature exploring childhood adversity influences on emergency department presentations, if and how it is identified, and interventions addressing the health care needs of this group. METHODS: Eight electronic databases were searched. Arksey and O'Malley's framework guided this review, and a quality appraisal was undertaken. Searches included all published studies until August 2020. RESULTS: Twenty-one articles were included in this review. They revealed that childhood adversity is common among adults who frequently attend the emergency department. It impacts physical and psychological health into adulthood and there is no standardized approach described to documenting childhood adversity, nor any consistent intervention reported by emergency departments to address its sequelae in adulthood. CONCLUSIONS: Several studies call for screening, intervention, and education to identify and address impacts of childhood adversity for patients who frequently present to the emergency department. However, reliable high-level studies exploring these topics specific to the emergency department are uncommon. Consequently, definitive interventions to address the healthcare needs of this group is lacking and warrants further research.

Interventions for adults with a history of complex traumatic events: the INCiTE mixed-methods systematic review.

BACKGROUND: People with a history of complex traumatic events typically experience trauma and stressor disorders and additional mental comorbidities. It is not known if existing evidence-based treatments are effective and acceptable for this group of people. OBJECTIVE: To identify candidate psychological and non-pharmacological treatments for future research. DESIGN: Mixed-methods systematic review. PARTICIPANTS: Adults aged ≥ 18 years with a history of complex traumatic events. INTERVENTIONS: Psychological interventions versus control or active control; pharmacological interventions versus placebo. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, common mental health problems and attrition. DATA SOURCES: Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) (1937 onwards); Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (from inception); EMBASE (1974 to 2017 week 16); International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (1970 onwards); MEDLINE and MEDLINE Epub Ahead of Print and In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations (1946 to present); Published International Literature on Traumatic Stress (PILOTS) (1987 onwards); PsycINFO (1806 to April week 2 2017); and Science Citation Index (1900 onwards). Searches were conducted between April and August 2017. REVIEW METHODS: Eligible studies were singly screened and disagreements were resolved at consensus meetings. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool and a bespoke version of a quality appraisal checklist used by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. A meta-analysis was conducted across all populations for each intervention category and for population subgroups. Moderators of effectiveness were assessed using metaregression and a component network meta-analysis. A qualitative synthesis was undertaken to summarise the acceptability of interventions with the relevance of findings assessed by the GRADE-CERQual checklist. RESULTS: One hundred and four randomised controlled trials and nine non-randomised controlled trials were included. For the qualitative acceptability review, 4324 records were identified and nine studies were included. The population subgroups were veterans, childhood sexual abuse victims, war affected, refugees and domestic violence victims. Psychological interventions were superior to the control post treatment for reducing post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms (standardised mean difference -0.90, 95% confidence interval -1.14 to -0.66; number of trials = 39) and also for associated symptoms of depression, but not anxiety. Trauma-focused therapies were the most effective interventions across all populations for post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. Multicomponent and trauma-focused interventions were effective for negative self-concept. Phase-based approaches were also superior to the control for post-traumatic stress disorder and depression and showed the most benefit for managing emotional dysregulation and interpersonal problems. Only antipsychotic medication was effective for reducing post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms; medications were not effective for mental comorbidities. Eight qualitative studies were included. Interventions were more acceptable if service users could identify benefits and if they were delivered in ways that accommodated their personal and social needs. LIMITATIONS: Assessments about long-term effectiveness of interventions were not possible. Studies that included outcomes related to comorbid psychiatric states, such as borderline personality disorder, and populations from prisons and humanitarian crises were under-represented. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence-based psychological interventions are effective and acceptable post treatment for reducing post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms and depression and anxiety in people with complex trauma. These interventions were less effective in veterans and had less of an impact on symptoms associated with complex post-traumatic stress disorder. FUTURE WORK: Definitive trials of phase-based versus non-phase-based interventions with long-term follow-up for post-traumatic stress disorder and associated mental comorbidities. STUDY REGISTRATION: This study is registered as PROSPERO CRD42017055523. FUNDING: This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 24, No. 43. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.

Traumatic events that happen often and that are difficult to escape from, such as childhood abuse, are sometimes known as complex traumatic events. People who have a history of complex traumatic events can develop post-traumatic stress disorder and can also suffer from other mental health problems. It is not known if people who experience complex traumatic events can benefit from existing psychological treatments or medications, or if these treatments are acceptable. This review aimed to find out which treatments are most effective and acceptable for mental health problems in people with complex trauma histories, and to identify the frontrunners for future research. We searched electronic databases for evidence about treatment effectiveness and acceptability in adults with a history of complex traumatic events. We found 104 randomised controlled trials and nine non-randomised controlled trials that tested the effectiveness of psychological and/or medications, as well as nine studies that used interviews and focus groups to describe the acceptability of psychological treatments. The studies were split across different populations that included veterans, refugees, people who had experienced childhood sexual abuse and domestic violence, and civilians affected by war. We found that psychological treatments that focused on improving symptoms associated with trauma were effective for reducing post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms and depression across all populations and fewer people dropped out of these treatments, suggesting that they are acceptable. However, trauma-focused treatments were less effective among veterans than among other groups and less effective for reducing other psychological symptoms commonly experienced by people with complex trauma histories. Phased treatments that first start with helping people to feel safe before focusing on trauma symptoms might be beneficial for both post-traumatic stress disorder and additional psychological symptoms. There was little evidence that medications, other than antipsychotics, were effective for post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms. Future work should test if phased treatments are more effective than non-phased treatments over the long term.

Violence and substance use in sexual minorities: Data from the Second Brazilian National Alcohol and Drugs Survey (II BNADS).

OBJECTIVE: To describe the prevalence of substance use and the associations between adverse early life experiences, sexual behaviour and violence in sexual minority (SM) individuals. METHODS: The Brazilian National Alcohol and Drugs Survey is a probabilistic household survey performed in 2012, collecting data from 4067 Brazilians aged 14 years and older. RESULTS: 3.4% of the sample declared themselves as sexual minorities, 53.8% female, 66.5% single, mean age of 29.5 years (standard deviation 16.0 years). A high prevalence of alcohol dependence (15.2%) and binge drinking (22.2%) was identified in the SM group. Respondents were more likely to use crack cocaine and hallucinogens, to have been involved in child prostitution, child sexual abuse and to report suicidal ideation in the previous year. Respondents were also more likely to engage in unprotected sex compared to non-sexual minorities. Nearly one-third referred to having suffered homophobic discrimination in their lives. Respondents also reported higher rates of domestic violence (18.9%) and urban violence (18%) among the SM. CONCLUSION: The findings reinforce that violence directed at individuals in the Brazilian SM community begins early in life and persists into adulthood when compared to non-sexual minorities. This population is also more exposed to substance use disorders.

Exploring the Link Between Emotional Child Abuse and Anorexia Nervosa: A Psychopathological Correlation.

Eating disorders (ED) are well known psychiatric disorders associated with dysregulated eating behaviors and related thoughts and emotions. Common eating disorders are bulimia nervosa (BN), anorexia nervosa (AN), and binge eating disorders (BED). There is an active link between child abuse and eating disorders, emotional child abuse being the important subtype of CA and has a strong comorbid psychopathological relationship with EDs, including AN. The PubMed database was searched for the related articles about child abuse, including emotional childhood maltreatment and their psychopathology associated with EDs, especially AN. No filters were used for the date of publication and article types. Childhood abuse, including physical, sexual, and emotional maltreatment, has an active link with psychopathology associated with dysregulated eating behaviors. However, emotional childhood maltreatment including emotional abuse, neglect, and/or exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) has been least studied, but studies have shown a strong relationship with the symptoms of anorexia nervosa such as weight concern, negative self-image, and maladaptive emotional response. Emotional dysregulation is the crucial psychopathological factor involved in mediating the effects of emotional childhood maltreatment and symptoms of anorexia nervosa and is strongly associated with long-term morbidity in patients with AN. Conducting more clinical studies in the future would help explore the temporal causation, and this association may help the practitioners to develop new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies in the management of AN.

Early childhood maltreatment experience and later sexual behavior in Brazilian adults undergoing treatment for substance dependence

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of early childhood maltreatment and associations with later sexual behavior among adult substance users. Methods: A cross-sectional study enrolled 134 substance dependents who sought outpatient care in São Paulo, Brazil. Childhood trauma prevalence was assessed using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). The Sexual Addiction Screening Test (SAST), drug of choice (DOC), and sexual behavior were also investigated. Results: The sample was composed predominantly of single adult males (76.1%), with alcohol as the DOC (73.9%). Experiences of emotional neglect (88.1%), emotional abuse (80.6%), physical neglect (78.4%), physical abuse (64.2%), and sexual abuse (31.3%) were prevalent. Women were more likely to have been sexually abused (OR 2.9, 95%CI 1.15-7.61) and physically abused (OR 3.7, 95%CI 1.31-10.6) in childhood. Those who were sexually abused in adulthood were more likely to have suffered physical abuse in childhood (OR 6.9, 95%CI 1.45-11.8). The odds of having been sexually abused in childhood were higher among subjects who reported to have exchanged sexual favors for drugs (OR 5.7, 95%CI 1.35-9.64) and to have been sexually abused in adulthood (OR 6.1, 95%CI 5.2-12.36). Conclusion: Physical and sexual abuse in childhood are highly prevalent in substance-dependent adults, and are associated with sexual revictimization and high-risk sexual behavior in adulthood.

Childhood abuse, intimate partner violence, and placental abruption among Peruvian women.

PURPOSE: Experiencing childhood abuse (CA) or intimate partner violence (IPV) has been linked to adverse pregnancy outcomes. We examined whether CA history and current IPV are independently and jointly associated with placental abruption (PA). METHODS: We recruited 662 PA cases and 665 controls in Lima, Peru. We used multivariate logistic regression to calculate odds ratios (OR), adjusting for age, education, and parity. RESULTS: Approximately 42% of cases and controls reported CA; 50% of cases and 49% of controls reported IPV. History of any CA was not associated with PA, but history of severe CA was associated with 38% increased odds of PA (adjusted OR [aOR], 1.38; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.07-1.80), adjusting for IPV. There was a statistically nonsignificant association between severe IPV and odds of PA (aOR, 1.22; 95% CI, 0.92-1.62), adjusting for CA. Women who experienced severe CA and severe IPV had 2.06-fold (95% CI, 1.25-3.40) increased odds of PA compared with women who did not experience severe abuse. The joint effect of CA and IPV was positive but statistically nonsignificant on the multiplicative (aOR, 1.48; 95% CI, 0.79-2.80) and additive scale (relative excess risk due to interaction, 0.70; 95% CI, -0.39 to 1.78). CONCLUSIONS: Preventing exposure to violence may improve maternal outcomes.

Survivors of Child Maltreatment and Postpartum Depression: An Integrative Review.

INTRODUCTION: An integrative review was performed to explore the relationship between a maternal history of child maltreatment and subsequent postpartum depression (PPD) symptoms. METHODS: Six electronic databases were used to explore the literature, including PubMed, CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Embase, and Scopus. Studies were included that used victims of child maltreatment as one of the independent variables and PPD symptoms as one of the dependent variables. Studies were excluded if they focused only on women with adult intimate partner violence or women with PPD who were perpetrators of child abuse rather than survivors. The studies were required to be original research, and there was no limit to years or language. The search yielded 589 studies, 16 of which were included in the final sample. These studies were assessed for quality, and a data display matrix was developed to extract the sample, design, methods, operational definitions for independent and dependent variables of interest, major findings with effect sizes, and limitations. Using the data display matrix, the studies' methods and findings were synthesized for divergent and convergent patterns. RESULTS: Studies were varied in their designs, samples, and operational definitions of child maltreatment and PPD, and were low to moderate in quality. Results were inconsistent, but a majority suggest a positive association between a maternal history of child maltreatment and subsequent symptoms of PPD. DISCUSSION: Child maltreatment and PPD are complex issues that require careful screening by women's health care providers and clearly defined operational definitions in future research. Implications for clinical practice and research are discussed.

Abuso sexual na infância e suas repercussões na vida adulta / Abuso sexual en la infancia y sus repercusiones en la vida adulta / Sexual abuse in childhood and its repercussions in adult life

RESUMO Objetivo: compreender repercussões do abuso sexual na vida adulta de mulheres abusadas sexualmente na infância. Método: pesquisa qualitativa, desenvolvida com nove mulheres em um Centro de Referência da Mulher, na região do semiárido do Estado de Pernambuco, Brasil, através de entrevistas não estruturadas. A interpretação dos resultados foi fundamentada na abordagem da Sociologia Compreensiva e do Cotidiano, a fim de identificar a centralidade subterrânea submersa na vida cotidiana das participantes e que pudesse emergir por meio de suas reações a partir do vivido do abuso sexual. Resultados: após a interpretação, os resultados foram agrupados nas categorias: Convivência familiar após a revelação do abuso sexual; A vida cotidiana de meninas em vivência de abuso sexual; e Repercussões do abuso sexual na vida adulta de mulheres abusadas sexualmente na infância. As repercussões do abuso sexual foram descritas como dificuldades no convívio familiar, gravidez, conduta hipersexualizada, prostituição, contradição entre gênero e sexo, dificuldades para ter orgasmo, uso de drogas, baixa autoestima, depressão, comportamento autodestrutivo, ideias suicidas e homicidas. Conclusão: a exposição ao abuso sexual no contexto familiar prejudicou a saúde física e emocional de meninas e adolescentes, bem como a convivência familiar, apontando para a necessidade de adoção de sensibilidade e solidariedade no cuidado a mulheres com queixas que possam estar associadas a vivências de abuso sexual.

RESUMEN Objetivo: comprender las repercusiones del abuso sexual en la vida adulta de mujeres abusadas sexualmente en la infancia. Método: investigación cualitativa, desarrollada con nueve mujeres en un Centro de Referencia de la Mujer, en la región del semi-árido del Estado de Pernambuco, Brasil, a través de entrevistas no estructuradas. La interpretación de los resultados fue fundamentada en el abordaje de la Sociología Comprensiva y del Cotidiano, a fin de identificar la centralidad subterránea inmersa en la vida cotidiana de las participantes y que pudiese emerger por medio de sus reacciones a partir de lo vivido del abuso sexual. Resultados: después de la interpretación, los resultados fueron agrupados en las categorías: Convivencia familiar después de la revelación del abuso sexual; la vida cotidiana de niñas en vivencia de abuso sexual; y repercusiones del abuso sexual en la vida adulta de mujeres abusadas sexualmente en la infancia. Las repercusiones del abuso sexual fueron descritas como dificultades en el convivio familiar, embarazo, conducta hipersexualizada, prostitución, contradicción entre género y sexo, dificultades para tener orgasmo, uso de drogas, baja autoestima, depresión, comportamiento auto-descriptivo, ideas suicidas y homicidas. Conclusión: la exposición al abuso sexual en el contexto familiar perjudicó la salud física y emocional de niñas y adolescentes, así como la convivencia familiar, aportando para la necesidad de adopción de sensibilidad y solidaridad en el cuidado a mujeres con quejas que puedan estar asociadas a vivencias de abuso sexual.

ABSTRACT Objective: to understand the repercussions of sexual abuse in the adult life of women who were sexually abused in childhood. Method: qualitative research, developed through unstructured interviews with nine women in a Reference Center for Women, in the semi-arid region of the state of Pernambuco, Brazil. The interpretation of the results was based on the approach of Comprehensive Sociology and Daily Life in order to identify the underground centrality submerged in the daily life of the participants and which could emerge through their reactions from the experience of sexual abuse. Results: after interpretation, the results were grouped into the categories: Family life after the revelation of sexual abuse; The daily life of girls experiencing sexual abuse; and Repercussions of sexual abuse in the adult life of sexually abused women in childhood. The repercussions of sexual abuse were described as difficulties in family life, pregnancy, hypersexual behavior, prostitution, gender and sex contradiction, difficulties to have orgasm, drug use, low self-esteem, depression, self-destructive behavior, suicidal ideation and homicide. Conclusion: exposure to sexual abuse in the family context has impaired the physical and emotional health of girls and adolescents, as well as family coexistence, pointing to the need to adopt sensitivity and solidarity in the care of women with complaints that may be associated with experiences of sexual abuse.

Moral reasoning in women with posttraumatic stress disorder related to childhood abuse.

BACKGROUND: Preliminary evidence suggests that relative to healthy controls, patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) show deficits on several inter-related social cognitive tasks, including theory of mind, and emotion comprehension. Systematic investigations examining other aspects of social cognition, including moral reasoning, have not been conducted in PTSD stemming from childhood trauma. OBJECTIVE: To conduct a comprehensive assessment of moral reasoning performance in individuals with PTSD stemming from childhood abuse. METHOD: Moral reasoning performance was assessed in 28 women with PTSD related to prolonged childhood trauma and 19 matched healthy controls. Performance was assessed using 12 modified moral dilemmas and was queried in three domains: utilitarian/deontological sacrificial dilemmas (personal and impersonal), social order vs. compassion, and altruism vs. self-interest. Participants were asked whether a proposed action was morally acceptable or unacceptable and whether or not they would perform this action under the circumstances described. RESULTS: Women with PTSD were less likely to carry out utilitarian actions in personal, sacrificial moral dilemmas, a choice driven primarily by consequential intrapersonal disapproval. Increased concern regarding intrapersonal disapproval was related to higher symptoms of guilt in the PTSD group. Patients with PTSD demonstrated less altruistic moral reasoning, primarily associated with decreased empathic role-taking for beneficiaries. CONCLUSIONS: Women with PTSD due to childhood trauma show alterations in moral reasoning marked by decreased utilitarian judgment and decreased altruism. Childhood trauma may continue to impact moral choices made into adulthood.

Childhood Abuse Is Associated With Worse Survival Following Lung Transplantation.

CONTEXT: Psychosocial factors can impact lung transplant outcomes. However, it is currently unknown whether abuse survivorship influences lung transplant survival. OBJECTIVE: To characterize the abuse history of adult lung transplant patients and determine whether such history is associated with mortality. PATIENTS AND OTHER PARTICIPANTS: Adult lung transplant recipients evaluated from 2000 to 2004. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The main outcome was post-lung transplantation survival. The secondary outcomes included demographic, transplantation, or psychological assessment differences between those with a history of abuse survivorship and those without. RESULTS: Thirty-three lung transplant recipients (35.5% male, median age: 55 years) were included. A history of abuse survivorship was common (24.2%) and was associated with decreased survival following lung transplantation (P = .003). There was no difference in sex, marital status, or smoking history between abuse survivors and those who denied being the victim of abuse. Abuse survivors had a higher Personality Assessment Screener total score, a measure of maladaptive personality traits (P = .02). CONCLUSION: Abuse survivorship is common in lung transplant patients and associated with increased posttransplant mortality and increased maladaptive personality traits. This preliminary evidence suggests that lung transplant patients should be screened for abuse history and provided with appropriate treatment of survivorship issues to potentially improve their health outcomes from transplantation.

The relationship between early adversities and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

This study examined whether retrospectively reported childhood physical abuse, childhood sexual abuse and/or exposure to parental domestic violence were associated with self-report of a health-professional diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among adults. We analyzed nationally representative data from the 2012 Canadian Community Health Survey-Mental Health using gender-specific bivariate and logistic regression analyses (n=10,496 men; n=12,877 women). For both men and women, childhood physical abuse was associated with significantly higher odds of reporting ADHD (men odds ratio [OR]=1.66, p<.001; women OR=1.95, p<.001). For both genders, childhood sexual abuse was also significantly related to higher odds of ADHD (men OR=2.57, p<.001; women OR=2.55, p<.001); however, exposure to parental domestic violence was only associated with elevated odds of ADHD among women (men OR=0.89, p=.60; women OR=1.54, p=.03). The results demonstrate a link between childhood physical and sexual abuse and ADHD for both men and women. Future prospective studies are required to further understand this interesting relationship.

Distinct intrinsic network connectivity patterns of post-traumatic stress disorder symptom clusters.

OBJECTIVE: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is considered a multidimensional disorder, with distinct symptom clusters including re-experiencing, avoidance/numbing, hyperarousal, and most recently depersonalization/derealization. However, the extent of differing intrinsic network connectivity underlying these symptoms has not been fully investigated. We therefore investigated the degree of association between resting connectivity of the salience (SN), default mode (DMN), and central executive (CEN) networks and PTSD symptom severity. METHOD: Using resting-state functional MRI data from PTSD participants (n = 21), we conducted multivariate analyses to test whether connectivity of extracted independent components varied as a function of re-experiencing, avoidance/numbing, hyperarousal, and depersonalization/derealization. RESULTS: Hyperarousal symptoms were associated with reduced connectivity of posterior insula/superior temporal gyrus within SN [peak Montréal Neurological Institute (MNI): -44, -8, 0, t = -4.2512, k = 40]. Depersonalization/derealization severity was associated with decreased connectivity of perigenual anterior cingulate/ventromedial prefrontal cortex within ventral anterior DMN (peak MNI: 8, 40, -4; t = -3.8501; k = 15) and altered synchrony between two DMN components and between DMN and CEN. CONCLUSION: Our results are consistent with prior research showing intrinsic network disruptions in PTSD and imply heterogeneous connectivity patterns underlying PTSD symptom dimensions. These findings suggest possible biomarkers for PTSD and its dissociative subtype.

Comprehension of affective prosody in women with post-traumatic stress disorder related to childhood abuse.

OBJECTIVE: Although deficits in memory and cognitive processing are evident in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), difficulties with social cognition and the impact of such difficulties on interpersonal functioning are poorly understood. Here, we examined the ability of women diagnosed with PTSD related to childhood abuse to discriminate affective prosody, a central component of social cognition. METHOD: Women with PTSD and healthy controls (HCs) completed two computer-based tasks assessing affective prosody: (i) recognition (categorizing foreign-language excerpts as angry, fearful, sad, or happy) and (ii) discrimination (identifying whether two excerpts played consecutively had the 'same' or 'different' emotion). The association of performance with symptom presentation, trauma history, and interpersonal functioning was also explored. RESULTS: Women with PTSD were slower than HCs at identifying happiness, sadness, and fear, but not anger in the speech excerpts. The presence of dissociative symptoms was related to reduced accuracy on the discrimination task. An increased severity of childhood trauma was associated with reduced accuracy on the discrimination task and with slower identification of emotional prosody. CONCLUSION: Exposure to childhood trauma is associated with long-term, atypical development in the interpretation of prosodic cues in speech. The findings have implications for the intergenerational transmission of trauma.

Alterations in empathic responding among women with posttraumatic stress disorder associated with childhood trauma.

OBJECTIVE: Although studies increasingly point toward problems with social cognition among individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), few studies have assessed empathic responding. The aim of the current study was to investigate empathic responding in women with PTSD related to childhood trauma, and the contribution of parental bonding to empathic abilities in this sample. METHODS: Participants with PTSD (n = 29) and sex- and age-matched healthy controls (n = 20) completed two self-report empathy measures, the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) and the Toronto Empathy Questionnaire (TEQ), and a self-report measure of attachment, the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI). RESULTS: Women with PTSD, relative to controls, reported significantly lower levels of empathic concern (r = 0.29) and perspective taking (r = 0.30), yet significantly higher levels of personal distress (r = 0.45) on the IRI. Women with PTSD also reported elevated scores on the TEQ (η (2) = 0.13). Levels of paternal care on the PBI, rather than childhood trauma severity or PTSD symptom severity best predicted perspective taking scores on the IRI in the PTSD sample (R (2) = 0.20). CONCLUSION: Women with PTSD associated with childhood trauma reported alterations among different domains of empathic functioning that may be related to low levels of paternal care.

Evidence-based treatment for adult women with child abuse-related Complex PTSD: a quantitative review.

INTRODUCTION: Effective first-line treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are well established, but their generalizability to child abuse (CA)-related Complex PTSD is largely unknown. METHOD: A quantitative review of the literature was performed, identifying seven studies, with treatments specifically targeting CA-related PTSD or Complex PTSD, which were meta-analyzed, including variables such as effect size, drop-out, recovery, and improvement rates. RESULTS: Only six studies with one or more cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) treatment conditions and one with a present centered therapy condition could be meta-analyzed. RESULTS indicate that CA-related PTSD patients profit with large effect sizes and modest recovery and improvement rates. Treatments which include exposure showed greater effect sizes especially in completers' analyses, although no differential results were found in recovery and improvement rates. However, results in the subgroup of CA-related Complex PTSD studies were least favorable. Within the Complex PTSD subgroup, no superior effect size was found for exposure, and affect management resulted in more favorable recovery and improvement rates and less drop-out, as compared to exposure, especially in intention-to-treat analyses. CONCLUSION: Limited evidence suggests that predominantly CBT treatments are effective, but do not suffice to achieve satisfactory end states, especially in Complex PTSD populations. Moreover, we propose that future research should focus on direct comparisons between types of treatment for Complex PTSD patients, thereby increasing generalizability of results.

Theory of mind performance in women with posttraumatic stress disorder related to childhood abuse.

OBJECTIVE: Key questions remain unaddressed concerning the nature of interpersonal functioning in trauma survivors, including the ability to understand and interpret other people's thoughts and feelings. Here, we investigate theory of mind (ToM) performance of women with PTSD related to childhood abuse in comparison to healthy controls. METHOD: Participants completed two ToM tasks, the Interpersonal Perception Task-15 (IPT-15) and the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Task - Revised (RMET). RESULTS: Relative to controls, women with a history of childhood trauma had difficulty recognizing familial relationships depicted in the IPT-15 (P = 0.005). No other category of the IPT-15 showed significant group differences. In addition, while healthy women displayed faster RMET reaction times to emotionally valenced mental states (positive: P = 0.003; negative: P = 0.016) compared with neutral mental states, the PTSD group showed similar reaction times across all valences. The presence of dissociative symptoms (e.g., disengagement, amnesia, identity dissociation) was strongly associated with hindered accuracy of complex mental state identification and altered perception of kinship interactions. CONCLUSION: Women with PTSD stemming from childhood trauma show changes in ToM abilities particularly those often involved in the interpretation of family interactions. In addition, individuals with PTSD showed slower reaction times during the recognition of complex mental states from emotionally salient facial/eye expressions in comparison with healthy subjects.

Role of maternal childhood trauma on parenting among depressed mothers of psychiatrically ill children.

BACKGROUND: Independently, maternal depression and maternal history of childhood abuse confer risk for impaired parenting. These associations may be compounded when depressed mothers with histories of childhood abuse are faced with the challenge of parenting offspring who themselves struggle with mental health problems. This study examined the relationships among maternal history of childhood abuse, maternal depression, and parenting style in the context of parenting a psychiatrically ill child, with an emphasis on examining maternal emotional abuse and neglect. We hypothesized that maternal childhood emotional abuse would be associated with maladaptive parenting strategies (lower levels of maternal acceptance and higher levels of psychological control), independent of maternal depression severity and other psychosocial risk factors. METHOD: Ninety-five mother-child dyads (children ages 7-18) were recruited from child mental health centers where children were receiving treatment for at least one internalizing disorder. Participating mothers met DSM-IV criteria for major depressive disorder. Mothers reported on their own childhood abuse histories and children reported on their mothers' parenting. RESULTS: Regression analyses demonstrated that maternal childhood emotional abuse was associated with child reports of lower maternal acceptance and greater psychological control, controlling for maternal depression severity, and other psychosocial risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: When treating psychiatrically ill children, it is important for a child's clinician to consider mothers' childhood abuse histories in addition to their history of depression. These mothers appear to have additional barriers to effective parenting.