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1.
Nutrients ; 12(7)2020 Jul 11.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32664465

ABSTRACT

This study examines the role of anxiety and depression symptoms in predicting dietary choices in emerging adults while accounting for sex differences in these relationships. Participants were 225 English speaking undergraduates enrolled in a university in southeastern United States. Participants were recruited through an online research recruitment application utilized by the university. Participants volunteered for a two-phased anonymous survey monitoring the effects of eating habits and gastrointestinal health in young adults. As part of this effort, participants completed self-reporting measures related to anxiety and depression, as well as an automated, self-administered 24-h diet recall. Multigroup path analysis was used to test primary hypotheses. Overall, a decrease in total caloric intake and an increase in sugar consumption were found as self-reported symptoms of anxiety and depression increased. In addition, there were sex differences in the relationship between depression and food choices. Men consumed more saturated fat as well as less fruits and vegetables as self-reported symptoms of depression increased. Results suggest symptoms of depression are a greater risk factor for poor nutrition in male college students than females. The findings provide another justification to screen for psychological distress in student health services given the implications on behavioral lifestyle and health.


Subject(s)
Anxiety , Depression , Feeding Behavior/physiology , Feeding Behavior/psychology , Food Preferences/physiology , Food Preferences/psychology , Nutritional Physiological Phenomena/physiology , Students/psychology , Universities , Adolescent , Adult , Diet Records , Female , Humans , Life Style , Male , Risk Factors , Sex Characteristics , United States , Young Adult
2.
Contemp Clin Trials Commun ; 17: 100491, 2020 Mar.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31799476

ABSTRACT

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) resulting from military service is a common, yet often chronic condition. Treatment outcome often is attenuated by programs that are (a) lengthy in nature and (b) constricted in their target outcomes. These limitations leave much of the emotional and behavioral impairment that accompanies PTSD unaddressed and/or unassessed. Typical PTSD treatment programs are 3-4 months in length, which is challenging for the pace of the nation's military. In this investigation, we will compare two treatments, Trauma Management Therapy (TMT) and Prolonged Exposure (PE), both redesigned to address the needs of active duty personnel (300 participants at 3 military installations). Specifically, we will compare the TMT Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP; 3 weeks) to PE's compressed (2 week) format. Both interventions will be compared to a standard course of PE (12 weeks). In addition to PTSD symptomatology, outcome measurement includes other aspects of psychopathology as well as changes in social, occupational, and familial impairment. Potential negative outcomes of massed treatment, such as increased suicidal ideation or increased alcohol use, will be assessed, as will genetic predictors of PTSD subtype and treatment outcome. This study will inform the delivery of care for military-related PTSD and particularly the use of intensive or compressed treatments for active duty personnel.

3.
J Anxiety Disord ; 61: 64-74, 2019 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28865911

ABSTRACT

Virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) realistically incorporates traumatic cues into exposure therapy and holds promise in the treatment of combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In a randomized controlled trial of 92 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and active duty military personnel with combat-related PTSD, we compared the efficacy of Trauma Management Therapy (TMT; VRET plus a group treatment for anger, depression, and social isolation) to VRET plus a psychoeducation control condition. Efficacy was evaluated at mid- and post-treatment, and at 3- and 6-month follow-up. Consistent with our hypothesis, VRET resulted in significant decreases on the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale and the PTSD Checklist-Military version for both groups. Also consistent with our hypothesis, significant decreases in social isolation occurred only for those participants who received the TMT group component. There were significant decreases for depression and anger for both groups, although these occurred after VRET and before group treatment. All treatment gains were maintained six-months later. Although not part of the original hypotheses, sleep was not improved by either intervention and remained problematic. The results support the use of VRET as an efficacious treatment for combat-related PTSD, but suggest that VRET alone does not result in optimal treatment outcomes across domains associated with PTSD.


Subject(s)
Military Personnel/psychology , Psychotherapy/methods , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/therapy , Veterans/psychology , Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy , Adult , Anger , Depression/therapy , Female , Humans , Male , Sleep , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/psychology , Treatment Outcome
4.
Behav Ther ; 49(4): 617-630, 2018 07.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29937262

ABSTRACT

Research indicates that exposure therapy is efficacious for combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) comorbid with traumatic brain injury (TBI) as is shown by reduced PTSD treatment outcome scores. What is unknown, however, is whether the process of fear extinction is attenuated in veterans with TBI history. Increased PTSD symptomatology and possible cognitive deficits associated with TBI sequelae may indicate additional or longer exposure sessions to achieve habituation and extinction comparable to individuals without TBI history. As such, a more extensive course of treatment may be necessary to achieve comparable PTSD treatment outcome scores for individuals with TBI history. Using a sample of veterans with combat-related PTSD, some of whom were comorbid for TBI, this study compared process variables considered relevant to successful treatment outcome in exposure therapy. Individuals with and without TBI demonstrated similar rates of fear activation, length and number of exposure sessions, within-session habituation, between-session habituation, and extinction rate; results remained consistent when controlling for differential PTSD symptomatology. Furthermore, results indicated that self-perception of executive dysfunction did not impact the exposure process. Results suggest that individuals with PTSD and TBI history engage successfully and no differently in the exposure therapy process as compared to individuals with PTSD alone. Findings further support exposure therapy as a first-line treatment for combat-related PTSD regardless of TBI history.


Subject(s)
Brain Injuries, Traumatic/psychology , Brain Injuries, Traumatic/therapy , Implosive Therapy/methods , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/psychology , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/therapy , Veterans/psychology , Adult , Cognition Disorders/rehabilitation , Cognition Disorders/therapy , Comorbidity , Fear/psychology , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Self Report , Substance-Related Disorders/psychology , Substance-Related Disorders/therapy , Treatment Outcome
5.
J Nerv Ment Dis ; 206(6): 423-428, 2018 06.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29781888

ABSTRACT

There is a need for a better understanding of underlying pathology in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to develop more effective treatments. The late positive potential (LPP) amplitude from electroencephalogram has been used to assess individual differences in emotional reactivity. There is evidence that olfaction is particularly important in emotional processing in PTSD. The current study examined LPP amplitudes in response to olfactory stimuli in 24 combat veterans with PTSD and 24 nonmilitary/non-PTSD controls. An olfactometer delivered three negatively valenced odorants, with 12 trials of each delivered in a random order. The groups did not differ in LPP amplitude across odorants. However, within the PTSD group, higher Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale scores related to an increased LPP amplitude after diesel fuel and rotten egg, but not n_butanol, odorants. Results provide specific targets and theory for further research into clinical applications such as selection of idiographic odorants for use in virtual-reality exposure therapy.


Subject(s)
Odorants , Smell/physiology , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/physiopathology , Veterans/psychology , Adolescent , Adult , Case-Control Studies , Electroencephalography , Humans , Interview, Psychological , Male , Physical Stimulation , Psychiatric Status Rating Scales , Young Adult
6.
Behav Res Ther ; 102: 68-77, 2018 03.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29229376

ABSTRACT

Exposure therapy (EXP) is one of the most widely used and empirically supported treatments for PTSD; however, some researchers have questioned its efficacy with specific populations and in targeting specific symptoms. One such symptom, guilt, has garnered increased attention in the PTSD treatment literature, as it is associated with worse symptomatology and outcomes. The current study examined cognitive changes in guilt in response to Intensive (3-week) and Standard (17-week) Trauma Management Therapy (TMT), and the potential mechanisms underlying TMT treatment. TMT is an exposure based intervention that does not include an emotional processing component after the imaginal exposure session. A portion of the sample completed measures of guilt. As a result, sample size for these analyses ranged from 39 to 102 and varied by the domain and measure. Of the 102 individuals that completed the PTSD Checklist- Military Version, 42 completed the Trauma Related Guilt Inventory, and 39 completed the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale supplemental guilt items. Participants reported significant reductions in trauma-related guilt symptoms over the course of the TMT interventions. Greater reductions in avoidance and prior session general arousal predicted the reduction of guilt symptoms. Exposure therapy may be effective in reducing trauma-related guilt even in the absence of the emotional processing component of treatment.


Subject(s)
Guilt , Implosive Therapy/methods , Military Personnel/psychology , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/therapy , Veterans/psychology , Warfare/psychology , Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Time Factors , Young Adult
7.
J Trauma Stress ; 30(6): 656-665, 2017 12.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29160560

ABSTRACT

The prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among U.S. veterans deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan necessitates the need for comprehensive assessment and treatment strategies. This study investigated the utility of a combat-related PTSD symptom provocation paradigm to elicit unique neurological responses across three groups: combat veterans with PTSD, combat veterans without PTSD, and nonmilitary participants without PTSD. Using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) the results indicated that combat veterans with PTSD demonstrated significant activation to a trauma-related sound compared with nonmilitary personnel, channel 14: d = 1.03, 95% confidence interval (CI) [0.28, 1.76]; channel 15: d = 1.30, 95% CI [0.53, 2.06]; and combat veterans without PTSD, channel 14: d = 0.87, 95% CI [0.14, 1.59]. Specifically, this increased neural activation was approximately located in the right medial superior prefrontal cortex (Brodmann areas 9/10), an area associated with experiencing negative or threatening stimuli and emotional detachment. There were no differences across the groups for nontrauma-related sounds. Results were less clear with respect to a combat-related odor. These results suggest a specific neurophysiological response to trauma-related cues and, if replicated, may offer a biomarker for combat-related PTSD. Such a response could provide incremental validity over diagnostic assessments alone and assist in planning and monitoring of treatment outcome.


Subject(s)
Acoustic Stimulation , Olfactory Perception/physiology , Prefrontal Cortex/diagnostic imaging , Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared/instrumentation , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/diagnostic imaging , Adolescent , Adult , Afghan Campaign 2001- , Case-Control Studies , Cues , Humans , Iraq War, 2003-2011 , Male , Middle Aged , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/physiopathology , United States , Veterans/psychology , Young Adult
8.
Bull Menninger Clin ; 81(2): 107-122, 2017.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28609148

ABSTRACT

An estimated 18.5% of veterans returning from Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation New Dawn are suffering from posttraumatic stress or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The number of veterans and service duty personnel requesting VA health care services is increasing, and the VA's ability to handle requests is dwindling. Thus, both the content of interventions and the format by which these services are delivered need to be reconceptualized. The authors present a multicomponent intervention program known as Trauma Management Therapy (TMT), a comprehensive, empirically supported treatment that can be delivered in an intensive, 3-week outpatient format. TMT combines individual exposure therapy with group social and emotional rehabilitation skills training to address specific aspects of the combat-related PTSD syndrome. The authors present the format of this novel intensive outpatient program, describe the components, and address implementation factors such as treatment compliance, dropout rates, and administrative considerations.


Subject(s)
Combat Disorders/therapy , Psychotherapy, Group/methods , Psychotherapy/methods , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/therapy , Veterans/psychology , Combat Disorders/psychology , Emotions/physiology , Humans , Implosive Therapy/methods , Outpatients/psychology , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/psychology , Treatment Outcome
9.
J Anxiety Disord ; 50: 23-32, 2017 Aug.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28545005

ABSTRACT

Despite the 8-18.5% of returning Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation New Dawn (OND) veterans who are suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), few receive empirically supported treatments. Among those that do, the dropout rate is high and more than 50% retain their diagnosis after treatment. This study evaluated the efficacy of Trauma Management Therapy (TMT), delivered in a 3-week intensive outpatient (IOP) format. TMT combines virtual-reality augmented individual exposure therapy with a group intervention to address social isolation, anger, and depression. One hundred twelve (112) OIF/OEF/OND veterans and active duty personnel participated. Assessment included measures of PTSD, sleep, depression, anger, guilt, and social isolation, administered at post-treatment, 3-month, and 6-month follow-up. The effect size for TMT delivered in an IOP format was 2.06, with 65.9% no longer meeting diagnostic criteria for PTSD. There were similar positive effects in other domains and treatment gains were maintained at 6-month follow-up. The results are discussed regarding the need for efficacious, multi-component interventions that can be delivered safely and rapidly, and the potential of this approach towards that end.


Subject(s)
Anger , Combat Disorders/therapy , Implosive Therapy/methods , Sleep , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/therapy , Veterans/psychology , Adult , Afghan Campaign 2001- , Combat Disorders/psychology , Depression/psychology , Depression/therapy , Female , Humans , Iraq War, 2003-2011 , Male , Middle Aged , Outpatients , Pilot Projects , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/psychology , Treatment Outcome
10.
Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback ; 42(2): 97-105, 2017 Jun.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28251420

ABSTRACT

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) comprises a constellation of metabolic abnormalities that substantially increase risk for chronic illnesses. Autonomic dysregulation is closely linked to MetS, and while pathophysiological models often address chronic stress exposure, none have examined how such physiological contributions operate situationally, in a clinical setting. We used ambulatory impedance cardiography to examine indicators of cardiac autonomic control (CAC) in a sample of 50 adult primary care patients with and without MetS. Indices of independent sympathetic and parasympathetic cardiovascular control in primary care outpatients were measured during a brief stress reactivity assessment. We compared interdependent CAC features, including cardiac autonomic balance (i.e., sympathovagal reciprocity) and cardiac autonomic regulation (i.e., sympathovagal coactivation) and found significant differences among MetS participants as compared to healthy controls. In particular, cardiac autonomic regulation scores were higher among MetS patients when discussing medication concerns, and cardiac autonomic balance scores were lower among MetS patients when discussing daily stressors. These results suggest that patients meeting criteria for MetS demonstrate momentary variations in CAC depending on personally relevant health topics. The potential for future research is discussed with a focus on prospective data collection to enhance diagnostic procedures and treatment monitoring.


Subject(s)
Autonomic Nervous System/physiopathology , Blood Pressure/physiology , Heart Rate/physiology , Heart/physiopathology , Metabolic Syndrome/physiopathology , Stress, Psychological/physiopathology , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Cardiography, Impedance , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Primary Health Care , Prospective Studies , Young Adult
11.
PLoS One ; 11(6): e0157568, 2016.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27310253

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Exposure therapy (EXP) is the most empirically supported treatment for anxiety and trauma-related disorders. EXP consists of repeated exposure to a feared object or situation in the absence of the feared outcome in order to extinguish associated anxiety. Key to the success of EXP is the need to present the feared object/event/situation in as much detail and utilizing as many sensory modalities as possible, in order to augment the sense of presence during exposure sessions. Various technologies used to augment the exposure therapy process by presenting multi-sensory cues (e.g., sights, smells, sounds). Studies have shown that scents can elicit emotionally charged memories, but no prior research has examined the effect of olfactory stimuli upon the patient's sense of presence during simulated exposure tasks. METHODS: 60 adult participants navigated a mildly anxiety-producing virtual environment (VE) similar to those used in the treatment of anxiety disorders. Participants had no autobiographical memory associated with the VE. State anxiety, Presence ratings, and electrodermal (EDA) activity were collected throughout the experiment. RESULTS: Utilizing a Bonferroni corrected Linear Mixed Model, our results showed statistically significant relationships between olfactory stimuli and presence as assessed by both the Igroup Presence Questionnaire (IPQ: R2 = 0.85, (F(3,52) = 6.625, p = 0.0007) and a single item visual-analogue scale (R2 = 0.85, (F(3,52) = 5.382, p = 0.0027). State anxiety was unaffected by the presence or absence of olfactory cues. EDA was unaffected by experimental condition. CONCLUSION: Olfactory stimuli increase presence in virtual environments that approximate those typical in exposure therapy, but did not increase EDA. Additionally, once administered, the removal of scents resulted in a disproportionate decrease in presence. Implications for incorporating the use of scents to increase the efficacy of exposure therapy is discussed.


Subject(s)
Anxiety Disorders/therapy , Implosive Therapy/methods , Olfactory Perception/physiology , Smell/physiology , Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy , Adolescent , Adult , Anxiety Disorders/physiopathology , Anxiety Disorders/psychology , Cues , Environment , Fear/psychology , Female , Galvanic Skin Response/physiology , Healthy Volunteers , Humans , Male , Surveys and Questionnaires
12.
J Anxiety Disord ; 27(4): 420-6, 2013 May.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-23746495

ABSTRACT

Veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) are presenting with high rates of co-occurring posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI). The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical presentations of combat-veterans with PTSD and TBI (N = 40) to those with PTSD only (N = 56). Results suggest that the groups present two distinct clinical profiles, with the PTSD + TBI group endorsing significantly higher PTSD scores, higher overall anxiety, and more functional limitations. The higher PTSD scores found for the PTSD + TBI group appeared to be due to higher symptom intensity, but not higher frequency, across PTSD clusters and symptoms. Groups did not differ on additional psychopathology or self-report of PTSD symptoms or executive functioning. Further analysis indicated PTSD severity, and not TBI, was responsible for group differences, suggesting that treatments implicated for PTSD would likely be effective for this population.


Subject(s)
Afghan Campaign 2001- , Brain Injuries/etiology , Iraq War, 2003-2011 , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/etiology , Veterans/psychology , Adult , Brain Injuries/complications , Brain Injuries/epidemiology , Executive Function , Female , Humans , Interview, Psychological , Male , Middle Aged , Neuropsychological Tests , Psychiatric Status Rating Scales , Severity of Illness Index , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/epidemiology , Veterans/statistics & numerical data , Young Adult
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