Four profiles of symptom change in residential Cognitive Processing Therapy.

A significant portion of veterans do not respond to evidence-based treatments for PTSD. Therefore, researchers have sought to predict who will respond well to trauma-focused treatment. The present study examined pre- and posttreatment symptom profiles, session-by-session change, as well as demographic and additional diagnostic information to better understand PTSD treatment response. Participants included 332 veterans undergoing residential Cognitive Processing Therapy. Latent profile analyses were computed, and four meaningful profiles emerged: Fast Responders, Steady Responders, Partial Responders, and Minimal Responders. Each profile demonstrated symptom reduction at approximately the same rate in the first half of treatment. Two specific profiles, Steady Responders and Minimal Responders, showed key clinically important differences. Both profiles demonstrated severe pretreatment PTSD symptom severity; however, in the second half of treatment, Steady Responders saw the steepest decrease in symptoms of any of the profiles while Minimal Responders saw less symptom reduction compared to all other profiles. Via a thorough examination, membership in Steady Responders compared to Minimal Responders was not associated with demographic or health variables. Results suggest that pretreatment symptom severity does not necessarily determine a client's posttreatment symptom severity. Pretreatment symptom severity did not determine outcome, though some veterans (Minimal Responders) did not experience the same symptom change and treatment effectiveness. Further identifying the factors that lead to the separation of these groups will add important information for determining treatment selection and potential obstacles to effectiveness.

Network analysis of PTSD symptoms following mass violence.

OBJECTIVE: Network analysis is a useful tool for understanding how symptoms interact with one another to influence psychopathology. However, this analytic strategy has not been fully utilized in the PTSD field. The current study utilized network analysis to examine connectedness and strength among PTSD symptoms (employing both partial correlation and regression network analyses) among a community sample of students exposed to the 2007 Virginia Tech shootings. METHOD: Respondents (N = 4,639) completed online surveys 3-4 months postshootings, with PTSD symptom severity measured via the Trauma Symptom Questionnaire. RESULTS: Data were analyzed via adaptive least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and relative importance networks, as well as Dijkstra's algorithm to identify the shortest path from each symptom to all other symptoms. Relative importance network analysis revealed that intrusive thoughts had the strongest influence on other symptoms (i.e., had many strong connections [highest outdegree]) while computing Dijkstra's algorithm indicated that anger produced the shortest path to all other symptoms (i.e., the strongest connections to all other symptoms). CONCLUSION: Findings suggest that anger or intrusion likely play a crucial role in the development and maintenance of PTSD (i.e., are more influential within the network than are other symptoms). (PsycINFO Database Record

Do Negative Changes in Worldview Mediate Links Between Mass Trauma and Reckless Behavior? A Longitudinal Exploratory Study.

Trauma exposure heightens the risk of reckless behavior and is now included in DSM-5 posttraumatic stress disorder symptomatology. Individuals exposed to trauma may be likely to engage in reckless behavior because of negative changes in their worldview (referred to as disrupted worldview). The current study investigates the relationship between DSM-IV posttraumatic stress symptoms, disrupted worldview, and increased reckless behavior among 1145 students exposed to mass violence. Total posttraumatic stress symptomatology was associated with increased and persistent reckless behavior, supporting DSM-5 diagnostic inclusion. Although posttraumatic stress symptomatology predicted reckless behavior among those with varying levels of posttraumatic symptomatology, individuals with high symptomatology reported significantly higher recklessness. Disrupted worldview mediated the relationship between posttraumatic symptomatology and reckless behavior among individuals with high symptomatology, while only partially mediating the relationship among those with low symptomatology. These findings provide support for worldview disruptions as a mechanism by which prolonged reckless behavior may be manifested.

PTSD symptoms and family versus stranger violence in Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.

As a diagnosis, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been associated with violence committed by veterans in many studies; however, a potential link to specific PTSD symptoms has received relatively less attention. This paper examines the relationship between PTSD symptoms and different types of violent behavior in Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. Participants were randomly sampled from a roster of all separated U.S. military service members or national guard/reservists who served after September 11, 2001. Data were collected at baseline and 1-year follow-up from a national sample of N = 1,090 veterans, from 50 states and all military branches. Of these veterans, 13% reported aggression toward a family member and 9% toward a stranger during the 1-year study period. Anger symptoms at baseline predicted higher odds of family violence at follow-up, both severe (OR = 1.30, CI [1.13, 1.48], p < .0001) and any (OR = 1.28, CI [1.19, 1.37], p < .0001). PTSD flashback symptoms at baseline predicted higher odds of stranger violence at follow-up, both severe (OR = 1.26, CI [1.11, 1.42], p < .0001) and any (OR = 1.16, CI [1.05, 1.28], p = .0029). Analyses revealed that males were more likely to engage in stranger violence, whereas females were more likely to endorse aggression in the family context. The results provide limited support to the hypothesis that PTSD "flashbacks" in veterans are linked to violence. The differing multivariate models illustrate distinct veteran characteristics associated with specific types of violence.

Homelessness and money mismanagement in Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.

OBJECTIVES: We examined the empirical link between money mismanagement and subsequent homelessness among veterans. METHODS: We used a random sample of Iraq and Afghanistan War era veterans from the National Post-Deployment Adjustment Survey in 2009-2011. RESULTS: Veterans were randomly selected from a roster of all US military service members in Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom who were separated from active duty or in the Reserves/National Guard. Veterans (n = 1090) from 50 states and all military branches completed 2 waves of data collection 1 year apart (79% retention rate). Thirty percent reported money mismanagement (e.g., bouncing or forging a check, going over one's credit limit, falling victim to a money scam in the past year). Multivariate analysis revealed money mismanagement (odds ratio [OR] = 4.09, 95% CI = 1.87, 8.94) was associated with homelessness in the next year, as were arrest history (OR = 2.65, 95% CI = 1.33, 5.29), mental health diagnosis (OR = 2.59, 95% CI = 1.26, 5.33), and income (OR = 0.30, 95% CI = 0.13, 0.71). CONCLUSIONS: Money mismanagement, reported by a substantial number of veterans, was related to a higher rate of subsequent homelessness. The findings have implications for policymakers and clinicians, suggesting that financial education programs offered by the US Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs may be targeted to effectively address veteran homelessness.