While there is high level of comorbidity of PTSD and substance use disorders (SUDs), little research has focused on the overlapping symptom constellation characteristic of both PTSD and substance use/withdrawal. This report describes two preliminary investigations that address this area. In the first study, the pattern of PTSD symptoms in a sample of women (n = 28) seeking treatment for a SUD and comorbid with PTSD was compared with the symptom pattern of a sample of women (n = 28) with PTSD only. The PTSD + SUD group evidenced significantly more symptoms in the avoidance and arousal symptom clusters than the PTSD-only group. At the individual symptom level, the PTSD + SUD group reported significantly more sleep disturbance than the PTSD-only group. It was also determined that the PTSD + SUD group reported greater traumatic-event exposure than the PTSD-only group. In the second study, PTSD symptoms were compared in a sample of alcohol- dependent and a sample of cocaine-dependent individuals with PTSD. The alcohol- dependent group exhibited significantly more arousal symptoms than the cocaine-dependent group. Implications of the results for the assessment of individuals with comorbid PTSD and SUDs are discussed.

Arousal↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Prevention of post-rape psychopathology: preliminary findings of a controlled acute rape treatment study.

Violent sexual assault such as rape typically results in extremely high levels of acute distress. The intensity of these acute psychological reactions may play a role in later recovery, with higher levels of immediate distress associated with poorer outcome. Unfortunately, post-rape forensic evidence collection procedures may serve to increase, rather than reduce initial distress, potentially exacerbating future psychopathology. To address these concerns, an acute time-frame hospital-based video intervention was developed to: (a) minimize anxiety during forensic rape exams, and (b) prevent post-rape posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), panic, and anxiety. Preliminary data indicated that (1) psychological distress at the time of the exam was strongly related to PTSD symptomatology 6 weeks post-rape, and (2) the video intervention successfully reduced distress during forensic exams.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Risk factors for rape, physical assault, and posttraumatic stress disorder in women: examination of differential multivariate relationships.

The National Women's Study, a 2-year, three-wave longitudinal investigation, employed a national probability sample of 3,006 adult women to: (a) identify separate risk factors for rape and physical assault, and (b) identify separate risk factors associated with post-rape posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and post-physical assault PTSD. This investigation differed from previous studies in that it prospectively examined risk factors at the multivariate, as opposed to univariate level. Overall, past victimization, young age, and a diagnosis of active PTSD increased women's risk of being raped. By contrast, past victimization, minority ethnic status, active depression, and drug use were associated with increased risk of being physically assaulted. Risk factors for PTSD following rape included a history of depression, alcohol abuse, or experienced injury during the rape. However, risk factors for PTSD following physical assault included only a history of depression and lower education.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The use of psychological test data to predict open-heart surgery outcome: a prospective study.

In an attempt to predict survival of open-heart surgery, particularly among high risk subjects who undergo extra-corporeal circulation [ECG] using pump oxygenation perfusion, a preoperative battery including intellectual, personality and neuropsychological instruments and also ratings of cardiac impairment, was administered to 15 control [cardiac surgery without ECG] and 72 experimental [ECG] subjects. Subjects were divided into survivor [S] and fatality [F] groups, and preoperative test data were analyzed using multivariate stepwise discrimination techniques. In a variety of analyses, at least 86% and as high as 100% of subjects were correctly classified as survivors or fatalities on the basis of variables sampled, indicating the outcome of cardiac surgery may be predicted preoperatively with a high degree of accuracy.

Adaptation, Psychological↗