What people with PTSD symptoms do (and do not) know about PTSD: A national survey.

BACKGROUND: If people do not recognize posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, they may not realize they are suffering from the disorder. Likewise, if people do not know that effective treatments exist, they may be unlikely to seek care. This study examined what people with PTSD symptoms know about PTSD and its treatment. We hypothesized that military service and prior receipt of PTSD treatment would be associated with greater PTSD knowledge. METHODS: We conducted an online survey assessing knowledge in three domains: trauma, PTSD symptoms, and effective PTSD treatments. Participants were 301 adults (50% veterans) who were drawn from a national research panel and screened positive for PTSD. RESULTS: When asked to identify items from a list, participants had better recognition for traumatic events (M = 72.2% of items correct) and PTSD symptoms (M = 62.3%) than for effective PTSD treatments (M = 37.9%). Across domains, participants often identified false items as true. Most participants thought divorce was a trauma that could cause PTSD, that drug addiction was a PTSD symptom, and that support groups are effective PTSD treatments. Prior receipt of PTSD treatment was associated with better symptom recognition (b = .86, P = .003). Being a military veteran was associated with better trauma recognition (b = .56, P = .025), but poorer treatment recognition (b = -.65, P = .034). CONCLUSIONS: People with PTSD symptoms lack knowledge about the disorder, especially regarding effective treatments. Public education about PTSD is needed so that people recognize when to seek care and which treatments to choose.

Epidemiology and prevention of combat-related post-traumatic stress in OEF/OIF/OND service members.

This article summarizes information about the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in military personnel and Veterans who have served in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts as well as the disorder's impact and efforts to prevent it in this population. We examine prevalence in light of epidemiologic methods and discuss associated outcomes, etiology, and factors affecting risk for PTSD. Prevention strategies are presented both in terms of individual-level interventions and operational strategies designed to mitigate the development of PTSD. Our findings indicate that while research into the prevalence and consequences of PTSD in the Iraq and Afghanistan cohort has been significant, relatively little is known about the effectiveness of approaches designed to prevent it.

Are we there yet? A review of gender comparisons in three behavioral journals through the 20th century.

Despite overwhelming evidence that gender plays a significant role in the course of numerous psychological disorders, researchers have historically neglected to address gender similarities and differences in their research. Previous reviews of the psychological literature have indicated that personality, psychotherapy, and behavioral psychology journals have published few studies that focus on gender comparisons. The current review examined published articles in three prominent behavioral psychology journals--Behavior Therapy, Behavior Modification, and Behaviour Research and Therapy--from their inception through 2001. Raters coded each article (N=4,635) for gender content in the title or abstract, analyses of gender differences, and discussion of gender. Overall, very few articles focused on gender content in the title, abstract, or discussion or analyzed data by gender. Implications of these results and suggestions for enhancing attention to gender comparisons are discussed.

Stress reactivity and coping in seasonal and nonseasonal depression.

Stress, stress reactivity, and coping skill use were examined in individuals with seasonal depression, nonseasonal depression, and nondepressed controls. Although participants in the two depressed groups reported using more avoidance coping strategies than controls, only participants in the seasonal depressed group reported using more season-specific coping (i.e., light-related strategies) than participants in the nonseasonal depressed and control groups. Individuals in the seasonal depressed group also reporting using acceptance coping strategies less frequently than individuals in the control group. Only participants in the nonseasonal depressed group, however, exhibited greater psychophysiological arousal in reaction to a laboratory stressor (i.e., unsolvable anagram task) when compared to participants in the seasonal and nondepressed control groups. Participants in both depressed groups reported greater impact of negative life events during the past 6 months than did controls. Similarities and differences in the two types of depression may have implications for the conceptualization and treatment of seasonal depression.