Cancer-related Posttraumatic growth and Posttraumatic stress disorder: how are they connected and what are their correlates?

PurposeCancer is a stressful life event that can lead to specific posttraumatic reactions. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and Posttraumatic growth (PTG) are two main posttraumatic reactions that are related to each other, and both have different correlates.MethodsThe linearity of the relationship between PTG and PTSD as well as the different socio-demographic, cancer-related, emotional and psychological correlates were analyzed in patients with cancer (N = 126).ResultsThe relationship between PTG and PTSD was found to be more curvilinear than linear. PTSD was more strongly related to psychological factors (e.g., anxious preoccupation, hope-helplessness, resilience) while PTG was strongly related to existential factors (e.g., self-transcendence, religiosity).ConclusionThe results show that cancer-related PTSD and PTG are specifically related constructs which are related differently to particular correlates.

Prevalences and predictive factors of maternal trauma through 18 months after premature birth: A longitudinal, observational and descriptive study

Posttraumatic reactions are common among mothers of preterm infants and can have a negative influence on their quality of life and lead to interactional difficulties with their baby. Given the possible trajectories of posttraumatic reactions, we hypothesized that prevalences of postpartum posttraumatic reactions at given times underestimate the real amount of mothers experiencing these symptoms within 18 months following delivery. Additionally, we examined whether sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of dyads influence the expression of posttraumatic symptoms among these mothers. A sample of 100 dyads was included in this longitudinal study led by 3 french university hospitals. Preterm infants born before 32 weeks of gestation and their mothers were followed-up over 18 months and attended 5 visits assessing the infants’ health conditions and the mothers’ psychological state with validated scales. Fifty dyads were retained through the 18 months of the study. The period prevalence of posttraumatic reactions was calculated and a group comparison was conducted to determine their predictive factors. Thirty-six percent of the mothers currently suffered from posttraumatic symptoms 18 months after their preterm delivery. The 18 months period prevalence was 60.4% among all the mothers who participated until the end of the follow-up. There was a statistical link between posttraumatic symptoms and a shorter gestational age at delivery, C-section, and the mother’s psychological state of mind at every assessment time. Only a small proportion of mothers were receiving psychological support at 18 months. Preterm mothers are a population at risk of developing a long-lasting postpartum posttraumatic disorder, therefore immediate and delayed systematic screenings for posttraumatic symptoms are strongly recommended to guide at-risk mothers towards appropriate psychological support.

Understanding the refugee-traumatised persons

The current situation of refugees demands a redefinition of our understanding of the concept of psychological trauma. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) cannot be used to account for the variety of posttraumatic reactions. This paper presents an alternative approach illustrating how theories on traumatisation and its treatment may take into account salient dimensions of man’s semiotic relations to others: body-emotional relations to the environment, relations to the groups/family, and relations to the socio-politico-cultural context. Each of these dimensions have an unconscious base, influencing the person’s capacity for repairing the trauma-processes.

The structure of the psychological consequences of sexual violence and abuse against children and adolescents

The results of the joint psychiatric-psychological examination of 175 victims of child sexual abuse (CSA) are presented. A complex of methods and techniques was used, including semi-structured interview for detection of posttraumatic stress in children, inventories for quality of life and maladjustment assessment, a battery of methods applied in the forensic psychiatric-psychological expertise, statistical methods. In the framework of the clinical and psychological (non-clinical) levels psychological consequences of CSA in accordance with the psychic state of victims were revealed. 4 groups of consequences with different intensity are described: psychogenic state in form of disorder (1) and psychogenic state in form of reaction (2) (clinical level); unfavorable psychological state (3) and minimally unfavorable state (4) (psychological level). It was stated that the more severe is the victim’s psychic disturbance, from minimally unfavorable to psychic disorder, the broader is the range of psychological, personality spheres involved the bigger is the number and the intensity of symptoms of posttraumatic reactions. Psychological consequences displayed by mentally healthy victims of CSA indicate, though, their quality of life impairment.