Books and Articles — Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

Imaging Study Shows How Family Violence Changes Brain Activity, by Rick Nauert. Psych Central, December 06, 2011.  “Family violence appears to increase a child's sensitivity to detect potential additional threats, as researchers found brain changes are analogous to those found in soldiers exposed to combat.”

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is seen as effective treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder, by Jan Brogan. Boston Globe, July 11, 2011.  “Once highly controversial, EMDR has made gains in acceptance. In 2004, both the American Psychiatric Association and the Department of Defense recommended it as an effective treatment for PTSD. In May, the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, an agency of the Department of Health and Human Services, recognized EMDR as an evidence-based treatment for depression and anxiety as well as for PTSD.”

Support Program Helps Caregivers of Mentally Ill Cope, by Traci Pedersen. Psych Central, June 28, 2011.  “Caring for a family member with mental illness can take its toll, but a widely available education and support program for relatives of the mentally ill called Family-to-Family (FTF) can significantly improve a family's coping ability.”

Children's Mental Health, by APA. American Psychological Assosciation, June 19, 2011.  “Contrary to popular belief, infants and toddlers can suffer serious mental health disorders. Yet, because of the pervasive but mistaken impression that this can't happen, many very young children with mental health disorders don't get the help they need.”

Childhood Exposure to Trauma Ups Physical, Mental Health Risks, by Rick Nauert. Psych Central, June 09, 2011.  “A new research study suggests exposure to trauma can increase a child's risk of developing learning and behavioral problems, and raise a child's risk of obesity.”

Minimal Training Aids in Response to Trauma, by Traci Pedersen. Psych Central, March 31, 2011.  “Even a small amount of training can teach people how to be more supportive when a friend or loved one confides in them a traumatic event or other type of mistreatment, suggests new research from the University of Oregon.”

First Responders, Rescuers Come Forward With PTSD, by NPR Staff. NPR, December 30, 2010.  “Rescuers and first responders have had to cope with their own post-traumatic stress”

Hospital Diaries Protect From PTSD, by Rick Nauert. Psych Central, September 17, 2010.  “Researchers have discovered that a journal describing what happened to an individual during an intensive care unit stay may help reduce, or mitigate post-traumatic stress disorder.”

PTSD from War Stress Linked to Dementia, by Rick Nauert. Psych Central, September 03, 2010.  “A new study suggests that veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have a greater risk for dementia than veterans without PTSD.”

Army Strives to Reduce Suicide, Mental-health Issues, by Donna Miles. U.S. Department of Defense, August 08, 2010.  “The Army is striving to reduce soldier suicides and mental-health problems by giving troops more dwell time between deployments, identifying tell-tale symptoms more quickly and eliminating the stigma of seeking help, the Army vice chief of staff said today.”

After a Disaster, Kids Suffer Posttraumatic Stress Too, by Anita Hamilton. Time Magazine, July 21, 2010.  “Popular wisdom has long held that young children survive traumatic events better than adults do, in part because they suffer less. Being too young to understand fully the nature of what's happening around them - during war or natural disaster, for instance - they should bounce back with much more resilience.”

New Findings on Heritability of PTSD, by Rick Nauert. Psych Central, June 18, 2010.  “Improved appreciation of the mental and physical effects of trauma has led to the clinical diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder. Emerging research on PTSD seeks to discover if genetic factors may contribute to developing the condition.”

Spill Takes Toll on Gulf Worker's Psyches, by Mireya Navarro. New York Times, June 16, 2010.  “Beyond the environmental and economic damage, the toll of the mammoth spill in the Gulf of Mexico is being measured in hopelessness, anxiety, stress, anger, depression and even suicidal thoughts among those most affected, social workers say.”

Tools to Reduce Stigma of Mental Illness, by Rick Nauert. Psych Central, May 14, 2010.  “Researchers have announced a new intervention that can improve the quality of life and self-esteem among persons with serious mental illness.”

Sexual Preference Linked with Violence and PTSD, by Rick Nauert. Psych Central, April 16, 2010.  “A new study has found that gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, and heterosexuals who have ever had a same-gender sex partner are one and one half to two times more likely to have experienced violent events during childhood.”

Study Suggests More Veterans May Be Helped by Talking About Killing, by James Dao. New York Times, February 13, 2010.  “Killing is the one thing many combat veterans avoid discussing when they return home, whether out of shame, guilt or a deep fear of being misunderstood.”

Helping your child understand Haiti's devastation, by Kristin Cantu. January 15, 2010.

The Minefield at Home, by Michael Jernigan. New York Times, October 26, 2009.  “Why returning veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder feel like strangers.”

PTSD: New War on an Old Foe, by Jamie Reno. Newsweek, October 01, 2009.  “Big changes underway at the VA could mean better treatment for thousands of vets. A bureaucracy in transition.”

Vets' Mental Health Diagnoses Rising, by James Dao. New York Times, July 16, 2009.  “Over a third of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans received a mental health diagnosis after 2001, a study found.”