ABSTRACT
In The Netherlands about 80% of the population experience a traumatic event while about 14% develop post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Considering this high prevalence the prevention or early treatment of posttraumatic stress is important from a health as well as cost-benefit perspective. The aim of this study was to examine whether we could identify subjects at risk of developing PTSD. We included 100 Dutch victims of different civil traumas that contacted the Victim Support Foundation. The trauma screening questionnaire (TSQ), was used as a screening tool. The results show that a cut-off score of 7 on the TSQ correctly identified most subjects with PTSD. We found a moderate positive correlation between PTSD and the severity of complaints. We also found a significant relationship between the TSQ and depression symptoms. This study indicates that the Dutch version of the TSQ is a useful instrument for identifying future cases of PTSD.
Subject(s)
Life Change Events , Mass Screening/statistics & numerical data , Personality Inventory/statistics & numerical data , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/diagnosis , Adaptation, Psychological , Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Netherlands , Psychometrics/statistics & numerical data , Referral and Consultation/statistics & numerical data , Reproducibility of Results , Social Support , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/epidemiology , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/psychology , Young AdultABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Trauma and dissociation tend to be interrelated. The objective of this study was to examine the frequency of traumatic experiences and somatoform dissociation in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) or rheumatoid arthritis (RA), two conditions that are both characterized by pain and disability. METHODS: Patients with a diagnosis of FMS (2 male, 26 female; mean age 42 +/- 11 years) or RA (5 male, 46 female; mean age 46 +/- 10 years) completed the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), the Somatoform Dissociation Questionnaire (SDQ), and the Traumatic Experience Checklist (TEC). RESULTS: Patients with FMS reported significantly higher levels of various forms of traumatization and dissociation than patients with RA. In patients with FMS, but not in patients with RA, there was a significant correlation between traumatization and dissociative symptoms. A possible dissociative disorder was indicated in 10% of the patients with FMS and 2% of the patients with RA. CONCLUSION: Traumatization experiences are frequent in FMS, but as compared to conversion disorder or dissociative identity disorder only a small subgroup of patients with FMS or RA shows the combination of traumatization and somatoform dissociation. The observation of somatoform dissociation calls for a broad treatment approach with a special role of the psychologist or psychiatrist.
Subject(s)
Arthritis, Rheumatoid/psychology , Fibromyalgia/psychology , Somatoform Disorders/complications , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/complications , Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
Norms for the Dutch language version of the Standford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale, Form C (SHSS:C; Weitzenhoffer & Hilgard, 1962) are presented. These norms are based upon a sample of 135 students at a Dutch university. Generally, the psychometric properties of the Dutch version of the SHSS:C are similar to other language versions. However, the mean score was somewhat lower than that found in the original norming studies at Stanford University.
Subject(s)
Hypnosis/statistics & numerical data , Surveys and Questionnaires , Adolescent , Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Psychometrics/statistics & numerical data , Reference Values , Reproducibility of Results , SuggestionABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not conversion symptoms are lateralized. Studies have shown a predominant left-oriented manifestation of symptoms for most somatoform disorders. The reports in the literature on the lateralization of conversion symptoms, however, are rather conflicting. They show left-sided, right-sided, or no symptom lateralization in conversion disorders. METHODS: One hundred fourteen patients with conversion disorder were screened for symptom lateralization. RESULTS: Those patients with unilateral symptoms (32.5%) showed no significant bias toward left or right symptom presentation. CONCLUSION: Based on these results, and the conflicting findings from previous studies, we conclude that there is insufficient support for lateralization theories in conversion disorder.
Subject(s)
Conversion Disorder/psychology , Functional Laterality , Sick Role , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Conversion Disorder/diagnosis , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Neurologic ExaminationABSTRACT
While the ability to estimate heart rate in a laboratory setting appears to be related to anxiety and alexithymia, it is still unclear how the ability to estimate blood pressure is related to these psychological measures. The perception of heart rate and blood pressure in 24 normotensive subjects with varying degrees of alexithymia and anxiety was examined. Results indicate that the estimation of heart rate is related to psychological characteristics, while the estimation of blood pressure is not. More anxious subjects perceived heart rate more accurately than less anxious subjects. Furthermore, high alexithymic subjects perceived heart rate less accurately than low alexithymic subjects. The accuracy of estimation of blood pressure was, however, not related to alexithymia or anxiety. These findings provide further evidence that blood pressure estimates in a laboratory setting are mainly based upon situational cues.
