A prospective longitudinal study of the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder resulting from childbirth events.

BACKGROUND: Childbirth has been linked to postpartum impairment. However, controversy exists regarding the onset and prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after childbirth, with seminal studies being limited by methodological issues. This longitudinal prospective study examined the prevalence of PTSD following childbirth in a large sample while controlling for pre-existing PTSD and affective symptomatology. METHOD: Pregnant women in their third trimester were recruited over a 12-month period and interviewed to identify PTSD and anxiety and depressive symptoms during the last trimester of pregnancy, 4-6 weeks postpartum, 12 weeks postpartum and 24 weeks postpartum. RESULTS: Of the 1067 women approached, 933 were recruited into the study. In total, 866 (93%) were retained to 4-6 weeks, 826 (89%) were retained to 12 weeks and 776 (83%) were retained to 24 weeks. Results indicated that, uncontrolled, 3.6% of women met PTSD criteria at 4-6 weeks postpartum, 6.3% at 12 weeks postpartum and 5.8% at 24 weeks postpartum. When controlling for PTSD and partial PTSD due to previous traumatic events as well as clinically significant anxiety and depression during pregnancy, PTSD rates were less at 1.2% at 4-6 weeks, 3.1% at 12 weeks and 3.1% at 24 weeks postpartum. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to demonstrate the occurrence of full criteria PTSD resulting from childbirth after controlling for pre-existing PTSD and partial PTSD and clinically significant depression and anxiety in pregnancy. The findings indicate that PTSD can result from a traumatic birth experience, though this is not the normative response.

Self-reported problems: a comparison between PTSD-diagnosed veterans, their spouses, and clinicians.

This study investigated self-reported problems in a sample of help-seeking Vietnam veterans, comparing the veteran's own view with clinician and spouse perspectives, with the aim of examining convergence in reports across different informants. Veterans with PTSD (N = 459) were asked to list and rate their five most serious problems. Spouses and treating clinicians completed the same questionnaire in relation to the veteran. Rates of endorsement for each problem area, and levels of agreement between raters, were calculated. Veterans, spouses, and clinicians were all likely to rate anger as a high priority, with veterans also likely to nominate anxiety and depression. Spouses were likely to nominate more observable behavioural problems such as interpersonal difficulties and avoidance, while clinicians were likely to nominate indications of psychopathology, such as anxiety, depression, and intrusive thoughts. Agreement across raters was generally high, although interpretation of agreement levels was complex.

The investigation of exposure and cognitive therapy: comment on Tarrier et al (1999).

This article outlines concerns relating to the N. Tarrier et al. (1999) investigation comparing imaginal exposure and cognitive therapy. Specifically, the authors offer N. Tarrier et al. the opportunity to operationally define and clarify the claim that more patients treated by imaginal exposure "worsened" during treatment. Equally, in light of N. Tarrier et al.'s low effect sizes in relation to past research the authors also highlight the need to utilize accountable treatment integrity checks.

Psychometric properties of the credibility/expectancy questionnaire.

The present research evaluated the psychometric properties of the credibility/expectancy questionnaire, a quick and easy-to-administer scale for measuring treatment expectancy and rationale credibility for use in clinical outcome studies. The results suggested that this questionnaire derives the two predicted factors (cognitively based credibility and relatively more affectively based expectancy) and that these factors are stable across different populations. Furthermore, the questionnaire demonstrated high internal consistency within each factor and good test-retest reliability. The expectancy factor predicted outcome on some measures, whereas the credibility factor was unrelated to outcome. The questionnaire is appended to the paper, yet the authors stress care when utilizing the scale. During the administration of the questionnaire, the participant sees two sections--one related to thinking and one related to feeling. However, the researcher needs to be aware that the 2 factors derived are not grouped into those questions. Instead credibility was found to be derived from the first three think questions and expectancy was derived from the fourth think question and the two feel questions.

The relative efficacy and treatment distress of EMDR and a cognitive-behavior trauma treatment protocol in the amelioration of posttraumatic stress disorder.

The growing body of research into treatment efficacy with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has, by-and-large, been limited to evaluating treatment components or comparing a specific treatment against wait-list controls. This has led to two forms of treatment, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Cognitive-Behavior Therapy (CBT), vying for supremacy without a controlled study actually comparing them. The present research compared EMDR and a CBT variant (Trauma Treatment Protocol; TTP) in the treatment of PTSD, via a controlled clinical study using therapists trained in both procedures. It was found that TTP was both statistically and clinically more effective in reducing pathology related to PTSD and that this superiority was maintained and, in fact, became more evident by 3-month follow-up. These results are discussed in terms of past research. Directions for future research are suggested.

Community psychiatric nursing with non-psychotic patients: relating process to outcome.

The aim of this study was to investigate the community psychiatric nursing (CPN) process with non-psychotic patients and to relate various constructs of the initial assessment interview to final patient outcome. The overall purpose of the research was to provide future directions for CPN training. This study used a repeated measures design, assessing patients at pre- and post-intervention on various scales to obtain outcome data. These clients were referred by general practitioners to community psychiatric nurses working in primary health care settings. The first contact session was video recorded (n = 8). Process measures were derived from these recordings using two independent expert raters using several process measures. Anxiety, depression and 'psychiatric caseness' indices all related to various process constructs (R(s) > or = 0.69). These results are based on correlations of a small sample, and the evidence suggests that a poor initial interview has a negative weighting on patient outcomes. This first interview may be related to the CPN skill base. CPN training may need to incorporate a module on structured assessment techniques. This study concludes that it is possible to conduct action research successfully within this field.