PTSD and the influence of context: The self as a social mirror

Mapping the factors behind ongoing war stress in Ukraine-based young civilian adults

While the literature on well-being and stress following natural disasters is well-developed, it is less so when it comes to ongoing war experiences. Between September and October of 2022, 223 Ukraine-based civilian adults (156 women and 67 men) completed a survey measuring symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), peritraumatic experiences, paranoia, quality of life, death anxiety, anxiety about weapons of mass destruction and depression (i.e. assumed 'war consequence' factors), as well as perceived social support, resilience, loneliness and expected military support from the West (i.e. assumed 'buffer' factors). Our exploratory structural equation model (SEM) suggests that Perceived Social Support predicted fewer PTSD Symptoms and more Peritraumatic Experiences. The regression modelling, however, shows that Perceived Social Support was also positively correlated with Peritraumatic Experiences. Highlighting the need for a civilian war stress buffer disruption theory, we argue that when composed of one's circle of family and friends, social support could likely mean greater exposure to war stressors through the mutual sharing of ongoing war experiences with no end in sight. Such a possible war stress sharing deterioration effect would imply that Perceived Social Support may compound peritraumatic distress if the support in question is offered by those facing the same grim reality.

Psychological Health and Ischemic Heart Disease in Women: A Review of Current Evidence and Clinical Considerations across the Healthspan

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Psychological health encompasses a constellation of negative and positive factors-i.e., psychosocial stress, depression, anxiety, trauma, loneliness and social isolation, anger and hostility, optimism, and a sense of purpose. This narrative review presents current evidence at the intersection of psychological health, risk of ischemic heart disease (IHD), and IHD-related outcomes, with an emphasis on associations in women.

RECENT FINDINGS

For women, relations between psychological health and IHD reflect important sex and gender differences in biological and psychosocial factors. Although efforts devoted to understanding psychological health and IHD risk have varied by psychological factor-scientific evidence is strongest for psychosocial stress and depression, while anxiety, trauma, and positive psychological factors warrant more investigation-less optimal psychological health is consistently associated with an earlier and greater risk of IHD morbidity and mortality in women. Still, many past prospective studies of psychological factors and IHD risk had a limited representation of women, did not include analyses by sex, or failed to account for other influential, sex-specific factors. Thus, there are multiple pathways for further, rigorous investigation into psychological health-IHD associations, mechanisms, and empirically supported psychological interventions to mitigate IHD risk among women. Given the robust evidence linking psychological health with women's risk for IHD, implementing routine, brief, psychological screening is recommended. Significant life events, developmental milestones specific to women, and IHD diagnoses or events could cue further psychological assessment and referral, efforts which will mutually strengthen the evidence for integrated psychological and IHD care and delivery of such care to this vulnerable group.

Perceived control, loneliness, early-life stress, and parents' perceptions of stress

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of understanding what contributes to individual variability in experiences of stress. Increases in stress related to the pandemic have been especially pronounced in parents, indicating a need for research examining what factors contribute to parents' perceptions of stress. Here, we assessed the relationship between parents' perceptions of stress, control, loneliness, and experiences of childhood trauma in two populations of caregivers. In Study 1, we examined the relationship between perceptions of stress, control, loneliness, and history of early stress, along with indices of socioeconomic risk and resting parasympathetic nervous systema activity, which has been linked to variability in perceptions of stress, in caregivers of young children. Perceived control, loneliness, childhood stress, and resting parasympathetic nervous system activity predicted caregivers' stress. In Study 2, we replicated these initial findings in a second sample of caregivers. Additionally, we examined how these processes change over time. Caregivers demonstrated significant changes in perceptions of control, loneliness, and stress, and changes in control and childhood trauma history were associated with changes in perceptions of stress. Together these results indicate the importance of assessing how caregivers perceive their environment when examining what contributes to increased risk for stress. Additionally, they suggest that caregivers' stress-related processes are malleable and provide insight into potential targets for interventions aimed at reducing parents' stress.

Structural equation modeling of treatment-related changes in neural connectivity for youth with PTSD

BACKGROUND

Previous studies suggest that improvement in symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is accompanied by changes in neural connectivity, however, few studies have investigated directional (effective) connectivity. The current study assesses treatment-related changes in effective connectivity in youth with PTSD undergoing Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT).

METHODS

Functional MRI scans before and after 16 weeks of TF-CBT for 20 youth with PTSD, or the same time interval for 20 healthy controls (HC) were included in the analysis. Structural equation modeling was used to model group differences in directional connectivity at baseline, and changes in connectivity from pre- to post-treatment.

RESULTS

At baseline, the PTSD group, relative to the HC group, had significantly greater connectivity in the path from dorsal cingulate to anterior cingulate and from dorsal cingulate to posterior cingulate corticies. From pre- to post-treatment, connectivity in these paths decreased significantly in the PTSD group, as did connectivity from right hippocampus to left superior temporal gyrus. Connectivity from the left amygdala to the lateral orbital frontal cortex was significantly lower in PTSD vs HC at baseline, but did not change from pre- to post-treatment.

CONCLUSION

Although based on a small sample, these results converge with previous studies in suggesting a central role for the dorsal cingulate cortex in PTSD symptoms. The direction of this connectivity suggests that the dorsal cingulate is the source of modulation of anterior and posterior cingulate cortex during trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy.

The Ethics of Memory Modification: Personal Narratives, Relational Selves and Autonomy

For nearly two decades, ethicists have expressed concerns that the further development and use of memory modification technologies (MMTs)—techniques allowing to intentionally and selectively alter memories—may threaten the very foundations of who we are, our personal identity, and thus pose a threat to our well-being, or even undermine our “humaneness.” This paper examines the potential ramifications of memory-modifying interventions such as changing the valence of targeted memories and selective deactivation of a particular memory as these interventions appear to be at the same time potentially both most promising clinically as well as menacing to identity. However, unlike previous works discussing the potential consequences of MMTs, this article analyzes them in the context of the narrative relational approach to personal identity and potential issues related to autonomy. I argue that such a perspective brings to light the ethical aspects and moral issues arising from the use of MMTs that have been hidden from previously adopted approaches. In particular, this perspective demonstrates how important the social context in which an individual lives is for the ethical evaluation of a given memory-modifying intervention. I conclude by suggesting that undertaking memory modifications without taking into account the social dimension of a person’s life creates the risk that she will not be able to meet one of the basic human needs—the autonomous construction and maintenance of personal identity. Based on this conclusion, I offer some reflections on the permissibility and advisability of MMTs and what these considerations suggest for the future.

PTSD as a Moderator of the Relationship Between the Distribution of Personal Resources and Spiritual Change Among Participants of Hostilities in Ukraine

The theory of conservation of resources (COR) can be used to search for mechanisms that explain spiritual changes caused by trauma. The present study aimed to verify whether PTSD could be a potential moderator between the distribution of personal resources and spiritual changes. The study included a total of 324 adults (75 women and 243 men) aged 18-74. The mean age was 34.3 (SD = 9.9). The Polish adaptation of Hobfoll's Conservation of Resources-Evaluation (COR-E), the posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) Checklist-Civilian Version and the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory were employed in the research. This study analyzed the spiritual change, which is one of the five domains of posttraumatic growth. The outcomes indicated the significant role of PTSD as a moderator of the relationships between 1) personal resources gain and spiritual change and 2) personal resources loss and spiritual change. PTSD is not a moderator in the relationship between assigning value to personal resources and spiritual change.

Military sexual trauma in context: Ethnoracial differences in ecological resources among treatment-seeking veterans

Veterans who have experienced military sexual trauma (MST) are at increased risk for a host of negative outcomes, including posttraumatic stress disorder, depressive disorders, and substance use disorders. Previous studies have shown racial differences in MST exposure, namely that Black veterans experience MST more frequently than White veterans. One way to help clinicians and researchers understand the impact of these ethnoracial differences in MST exposure is through an applied theory of ecological resources, which has demonstrated ecological factors (e.g., aspects of identity, beliefs, and environmental stressors) contribute to veteran well-being in the aftermath of MST. The present study aimed to examine ethnoracial differences in ecological resources (i.e., available social support, spiritual coping, past-year interpersonal violence, financial sufficiency, and stable living environment). Participants (N = 505) were U.S. veterans who sought care at a Veterans Healthcare Administration clinic in the midwestern United States for mental health issues related to MST. Results demonstrated Black veterans were more likely than White veterans to report being financially insecure, U = 18,091.50, z = -2.04, p = .042, r = .10. Black veterans were also more likely to report spiritual beliefs that assisted with coping, Cramer's V = .19, but less likely to report having a social support system, Cramer's V = .16. These findings highlight the importance of assessing and addressing disparities illuminated by ethnoracial differences in ecological resources and barriers in veterans seeking care for MST.

The Mental Health Consequences of Hurricane Matthew on Haitian Children and Youth: An Exploratory Study

Haiti has experienced many major natural disasters in the past decade that included Hurricane Matthew which led to mass damage to property, a depletion of basic resources, human fatalities and injuries, and mental health consequences that affected the poorest. The current study focused on the psychological effects of Hurricane Matthew on Haitian children and adolescents. Children display heightened depression, and PTSD symptoms in the aftermath of disasters (Hausman et al., Journal of Family Psychology 34:836-845, 2020), however, the researchers anticipated that children living in orphanages would display more severe mental health symptoms than those living with their families, because of their additional stressor of family loss. Using a convenience sample, quantitative data was collected using several instruments, in a survey format, that were individually administered to a sample of 77 adolescents. Participants had high depressive scores and reported multiple adverse events and limited access to basic needs. In comparing subgroups, we found children who were in orphanages reported significantly fewer adverse childhood experiences than those living with their families. This is likely because orphanages in Haiti consistently provide children with a safe and stable environment, buffering them against the traumatic effects of disasters. In contrast, children living with their families reported witnessing or experiencing interpersonal violence, neglect and abuse in addition to disaster-related stress. Before addressing the issues faced by disaster-affected children in Haiti, the systemic issues that maintain the socio-economic deprivation of so many citizens must be addressed. An important step is for policymakers to collaborate with mental health providers to develop community interventions that are low-cost and easily accessible. These interventions must consider and incorporate the social context and cultural patterns of help-seeking and treatment utilization in Haiti.

Narrating life in the military: Links between veterans' narrative processing of service experiences and their posttraumatic stress symptoms and well-being

Military veterans frequently experience traumatic, highly stressful events; thus, it is especially important for them to find positive ways of making meaning from these experiences. The present study used the methods of narrative personality psychology to investigate the associations between veterans' narrative processing of highly stressful and significant events from their military service and postdischarge functioning, including posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). United States military veterans (N = 154; M age = 64.28 years, 86.4% men, 57.8% deployed) completed an online survey in which they wrote narratives about one "highly stressful" and one "key scene" military service memory and completed questionnaires to assess PTSS, symptoms of depression and anxiety, functional impairment, and well-being. Narratives were coded for personal growth from the experience, themes of agency and interpersonal communion, affective tone, and coherence. In the highly stressful narratives, small-to-moderate negative associations emerged between both growth and agency and PTSS, depression and anxiety, and functional impairment; growth was also modestly positively associated with well-being. In contrast, affective tone and communion were each only associated modestly with one outcome, and coherence with none, and narrative processing of the key scene narrative was not linked with any mental health outcomes. These findings suggest that (1) the theory and methods of narrative identity research are relevant for studying trauma narratives, and (2) veterans who narrate themselves as growing from and exerting control over their most stressful service experiences may achieve better mental health and day-to-day functioning.

A Promotive Process of Resource Gain Against Harsh and Inconsistent Discipline in Mothers Coping With Breast Cancer: A Serial Mediation Model

Breast cancer is a life-threatening disease and a source of enduring stress. The Family Stress Model posits that psychological distress provoked by stressful conditions may spill over and intensify harsh and inconsistent parental discipline. However, the Conservation of Resources theory posits that having more resources may lead to further resource gain, which may promote adaptive coping with adversities. Therefore, this study examined a serial mediation model in which financial resources (income) are predicted to be associated with more interpersonal resources (paternal involvement). The latter is expected to be linked with less maternal post-traumatic stress symptoms, which, in turn, should be associated with less harsh and inconsistent discipline in mothers coping with breast cancer. A sample of 100 Israeli mothers receiving breast cancer treatments was recruited through social media. The participants completed online self-report questionnaires. Structural Equation Modeling indicated significant serial mediation, in which a greater income level was associated with more paternal involvement, which was linked to a lower level of maternal post-traumatic symptoms. The latter, in turn, was associated with less harsh and inconsistent maternal discipline practices. We controlled for illness severity and the time since diagnosis, which did not predict maternal discipline practices. The study suggests that although breast cancer is a stressful condition for any family, having more financial resources can be a significant promotive factor predicting a cascading process by which paternal functioning facilitates better mental health of mothers, and, in turn, better maternal parenting practices.

Personal Resources and Spiritual Change among Participants’ Hostilities in Ukraine: The Mediating Role of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Turn to Religion

The theory of conservation of resources (COR) can be used for searching mechanisms which explain spiritual changes caused by trauma. The aim of this paper was to analyze the relationship between distribution of personal resources and spiritual change, as well as the mediating role of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and turn to religion (stress coping strategy) in this relationship among participants’ hostilities in Ukraine. A total of 314 adults—74 women and 235 men—participated in the study. The mean age was 72.59. Polish adaptation of Hobfoll’s Conservation of Resources-Evaluation (COR-E), the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Checklist—Civilian Version (PCL-C), the Inventory for Measuring Coping with Stress (MINI-COPE), and The Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) were employed in the research. The mediating role of posttraumatic stress disorder and turn to religion in relationship between personal resources loss and spiritual change was confirmed. The turn to religion plays the role of mediator in relationship between personal resources gain/assigning value to personal resources and spiritual change. The results justify the postulate of conducting further research in the field of testing models which take into account the relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder, religious coping stress, and posttraumatic spiritual change. The conducted analyses should include the assumptions of the COR theory as well as psychological, social, and situational factors that could generate spiritual change.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Antidepressant Use, and Hemorrhagic Stroke in Young Men and Women: A 13-Year Cohort Study

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Antidepressants are commonly prescribed for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and may increase the risk of bleeding, including hemorrhagic stroke.

METHODS

We prospectively examined independent effects of PTSD, selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SSRI and SNRI) on the risk of incident hemorrhagic stroke in a nationwide sample of 1.1 million young and middle-aged veterans. Time-varying multivariate Cox models were used to examine hemorrhagic stroke risk by PTSD status and use of SSRI or SNRI while adjusting for demographics, lifestyle factors, stroke, and psychiatric comorbidities. Sensitivity analyses controlled for health care utilization.

RESULTS

During 13 years of follow-up (2.14 years on average), 507 patients (12% women) suffered a hemorrhagic stroke. The overall incidence rate was 1.70 events per 10 000-person years. In unadjusted models, PTSD was associated with an 82% greater risk of new-onset hemorrhagic stroke (hazard ratio [HR], 1.82 [95% CI, 1.48-2.24]), SSRI use was associated with a >2-fold risk (HR, 2.02 [95% CI, 1.66-2.57]), and SNRI use was associated with a 52% greater risk (HR, 1.52 [95% CI, 1.08-2.16]). In fully adjusted models, effects of PTSD and SNRI were attenuated (adjusted HR, 1.03 [95% CI, 0.81-1.34]; adjusted HR, 1.19 [95% CI, 0.83-1.71]), but SSRI use remained associated with a 45% greater risk of hemorrhagic stroke (adjusted HR, 1.45 [95% CI, 1.13-1.85]). Hypertension, drug abuse, and alcohol abuse were also associated with increased stroke risk. Nonobesity and being non-Hispanic were protective factors. In sensitivity analyses, health care utilization was a small but significant predictor of stroke.

CONCLUSIONS

In the largest known investigation of PTSD and antidepressant-associated risk for hemorrhagic stroke in young adults, use of SSRIs, but neither PTSD nor SNRIs were independently associated with incident stroke. SNRIs may be preferable for treating PTSD and comorbid conditions, although pursuing other modifiable risk factors and non-pharmacological treatments for PTSD also remains essential.

The subjective-agentic personality sector (SAPS): Introduction to the special issue on self, identity, and psychopathology

This special issue is predicated upon the premise that there exists a subjective-agentic personality sector (SAPS) that is crucially relevant to the understanding and treatment of psychopathology. SAPS is often overlooked by "trait" models in personality psychology. It is comprised of "hot" cognitions about one's self and identity as they unfold throughout the life span and are brought to bear on interpersonal relationships. There are four ways in which SAPS may be involved in psychopathology: (a) inherently, as a component of psychiatric disorders, (b) as a passive vulnerability dimension, namely by interacting with life stress, (c) as an active vulnerability dimension, that is, by propelling external situations that culminate in psychopathology, and (d) by constituting a central consequent of psychopathology (i.e., the scarring pattern, see below). In this Journal of Personality special issue, experts in personality and psychopathology demonstrate the centrality of SAPS in unipolar depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar spectrum disorder, eating disorders, posttraumatic stress disorder, complex trauma and borderline personality disorder, social anxiety disorder, suicidality in the context of mood disorders, and recovery from schizophrenia. A commentary by Dan McAdams, a leader in the study of self and identity, concludes this special issue.

Psychopathology and the self: Human actors, agents, and authors

The articles included within this special issue of the Journal of Personality all conceptualize psychopathology as the result of problems in human selfhood. As such, they implicate a wide assortment of self-related constructs, from self-objectification to self-esteem, in the etiology and maintenance of psychopathology, and they point to interventions designed to alter these self-processes in order to alleviate suffering. In this commentary, I reinterpret and reorganize many of the ideas presented in the articles from the standpoint of a tripartite perspective on the reflexive human self. The self is first and foremost an inherent duality of I and Me. Psychologically speaking, the I/Me dynamic plays out in three different guises-the self as (1) social actor, (2) motivated agent, and (3) autobiographical author. Problems in human selfhood as they pertain to psychopathology may be profitably reconceived in terms of the corresponding performative styles expressed by social actors, the motivational agendas of values and goals that energize human striving and determine self-esteem, and the internalized life stories that human beings, as authors of the self, fashion and narrate to make sense of the reconstructed past and imagined future.