Treatment of PTSD : Stress inoculation training with prolonged exposure compared to EMDR
- Authors: Lee, Christopher , Gavriel, Helen , Drummond, Peter , Richards, Jeffrey , Greenwald, Ricky
- Date: 2002
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Clinical Psychology Vol. 58, no. 9 (2002), p. 1071-1089
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- Description: The effectiveness of Stress Inoculation Training with Prolonged Exposure (SITPE) was compared to Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). Twenty-four participants who had a diagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) were randomly assigned to one of the treatment conditions. Participants were also their own wait-list control. Outcome measures included self-report and observer-rated measures of PTSD, and self-report measures of depression. On global PTSD measures, there were no significant differences between the treatments at the end of therapy. However on the subscale measures of the degree of intrusion symptoms, EMDR did significantly better than SITPE. At follow-up EMDR was found to lead to greater gains on all measures. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A therapist-assisted Internet-based CBT intervention for posttraumatic stress disorder : Preliminary results
- Authors: Klein, Britt , Mitchell, Joanna , Gilson, Kathryn , Shandley, Kerrie , Austin, David , Kiropoulos, Litza , Abbott, Jo-Anne , Cannard, Gwenda
- Date: 2009
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Vol. 38, no. 2 (2009), p. 121-131
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- Description: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating mental health condition frequently associated with psychiatric comorbidity and diminished quality of life, and it typically follows a chronic, often lifelong, course. Previous research has shown that trauma-related psychopathology (but not necessarily clinical PTSD) can be effectively treated via the Internet. This study is the first of its kind to report on the online treatment of patients with a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (fourth edition) clinical diagnosis of PTSD with therapist support by e-mail only. Preliminary findings are presented of an open trial involving a 10-week Internet-based therapist-assisted cognitive behavioural treatment for PTSD (PTSD Online). Pre and posttreatment measures of PTSD and related symptomatology were compared for 16 participants with a variety of trauma experiences. Participants showed clinically significant reductions in PTSD severity and symptomatology, moderate tolerance of the program content, and high therapeutic alliance ratings. No significant change was found on measures of more general psychological symptoms. The results suggest that PTSD Online appears to be an effective and accessible clinical treatment for people with a confirmed PTSD diagnosis.
Sleep and mental health among paramedics from Australia and Saudi Arabia : a comparison study
- Authors: Khan, Wahaj , Conduit, Russell , Kennedy, Gerard , Alslamah, Ahmed , Alsuwayeh, Mohammad , Jackson, Melinda
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Clocks & Sleep Vol. 2, no. 2 (JUN 2020), p. 246-257
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- Description: Paramedics face many challenges while on duty, one of which is working different types of shifts. Shift work has been linked to a number of health issues such as insomnia, depression, and anxiety. Besides shift work, Saudi paramedics, a group that has not been investigated for sleep or mental health issues previously, may be facing more demands than Australian paramedics due to lower numbers of paramedics in comparison to the general population. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of sleep and mental health disorders among paramedics in Saudi Arabia and Australia. Paramedics were invited to complete a survey to assess stress, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, daytime sleepiness, insomnia, sleep quality, shift work disorder, obstructive sleep apnoea, fatigue, and general health. A total of 104 males Saudi paramedics (M age = 32.5 +/- 6.1 years) and 83 males paramedics from Australia (M age = 44.1 +/- 12.1 years) responded to the survey. Significantly higher rates of depression, PTSD, insomnia, and fatigue, along with significantly poorer physical functioning were observed among Saudi paramedics in comparison with Australian paramedics. However, Australian paramedics reported significantly poorer sleep quality and general health in comparison to Saudi paramedics. After removing the effect of driving and working durations, outcomes were no longer significant. The higher burden of depression and PTSD among Saudi paramedics may be explained by longer hours spent driving and longer work durations reported by this group. Taking into consideration the outcomes reported in this study, more investigations are needed to study their possible effects on paramedics' cognition, performance, and safety.
Challenging child behaviours positively predict symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder in parents of children with Autism spectrum disorder and rare diseases
- Authors: Stewart, Michelle , Schnabel, Alexandra , Hallford, David , McGillivray, Jane , Forbes, David , Foster, Madeline , Shandley, Kerrie , Gardam, Madeleine , Austin, David
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders Vol. 69, no. (2020), p.
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- Description: Background: This study investigated the validity of conceptualising elevated stress in parents of children who exhibit challenging behaviour within the framework of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It was hypothesised that parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and parents of children with a rare disease would endorse greater PTSD symptomatology than parents of typically developing (TD) children, and that challenging child behaviours would positively predict PTSD symptomatology. Method: The Life Events Checklist for DSM-5, Developmental Behaviour Checklist (Parent) and PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 were administered to 395 parents. Results: Significantly more PTSD symptomatology was reported by parents of children with ASD and parents of children with a rare disease than parents of TD children, and challenging child behaviours positively predicted PTSD symptomatology in both groups. Conclusion: A PTSD framework may validly explain elevated stress among some parents of children with ASD and parents of children with a rare disease, and has important implications for support delivered to parents by healthcare providers. © 2019 Elsevier Ltd
Diegetic wounds : the representation of individual and collective trauma in found footage horror films
- Authors: Hubber, Duncan
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
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- Description: The type of horror film known as “found footage” was prominent in the 2000s and early 2010s. The term refers to films that aim to scare their audience, and which are primarily shot diegetically, with handheld and surveillance cameras that exist within the world of the film. The thesis identifies conceptual, aesthetic, and thematic links between found footage horror films and psychological trauma theory. For example, in each film the premise of the characters and viewers finding footage of a frightening event evokes the victim’s belated recollection of a traumatic experience. Additionally, the often-frantic cinematography and ambiguous formulation of the monster evokes the shocked and disoriented cognition of the trauma victim in the wake of their experience. Finally, the experience and effect of trauma on society is a recurring theme of found footage horror films. By examining 14 films, this thesis aims to answer the question: how do found footage horror films represent the relationship between individual and collective trauma? It theorises that individual trauma is conveyed through the films’ point-of-view (POV) aesthetic, while collective trauma is conveyed through their narrative themes. The thesis groups the films into four categories, each of which addresses a different aspect of trauma theory. Firstly, Remote found footage horror films, such as The Blair Witch Project (Myrick and Sánchez 1999), are examined as depictions of national historical traumas. Secondly, Urban found footage horror films, such as Cloverfield (Reeves 2008), are read as depictions of contemporary global traumas. Thirdly, Domestic found footage horror films, such as Paranormal Activity (Peli 2009), are framed as depictions of systemic domestic trauma. Fourthly, Perpetrator found footage horror films, such as Man Bites Dog (Belvaux, Bonzel and Poelvoorde 1992), are examined as depictions of perpetrator trauma. The thesis disputes the claim made by numerous critics and theorists that found footage horror films do not constitute a subgenre, but merely a cinematographic style or marketing gimmick. By demonstrating their aesthetic and thematic consistency, and the manifold ways that found footage horror can be read as representing trauma, the thesis argues that the films constitute a specific subgenre of horror cinema. The thesis makes significant contributions to knowledge by identifying, testing and demonstrating links between horror film theory, genre theory, spectator theory, and psychological and collective trauma theory. It conducts a broad survey of a recent subgenre of horror films that has, thus far, only received sporadic and insubstantial academic attention. It also presents an original theory that explains the psychological and sociological subtext of the subgenre, and the cultural insights that the films provide.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy