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Witnessing, Experiencing Traumatic Events May Worsen Heart Disease
Posted 4 Apr 2012 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, April 4 – Large amounts of lifetime exposure to traumatic stress – even when it doesn't result in post-traumatic stress disorder – boosts inflammation levels in heart disease patients, a new study suggests. The findings are important because it's known that heart disease patients with higher levels of inflammation tend to fare worse, according to the researchers at the University of California, San Francisco and the San Francisco VA Medical Center. They looked at the exposures to 18 types of traumatic events experienced by nearly 1,000 patients aged 45 to 90 with cardiovascular disease. All the traumatic events involved either experiencing or witnessing a direct threat to life or physical well-being. The more traumatic stress patients experienced in a lifetime, the more likely they were to have elevated levels of inflammatory markers in their bloodstream. When the ... Read more
Related support groups: Heart Disease, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
U.S. Soldiers Face Host of Mental Health Issues
Posted 25 Jan 2012 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 25 – U.S. military personnel and veterans are plagued by substance abuse, depression and suicide, three new studies indicate. In one study, researchers surveyed nearly 600 veterans returning from war zone deployment in Iraq or Afghanistan, and found that they were at increased risk for mental health problems and alcohol and drug abuse. Nearly 14 percent of the veterans screened positive for probable post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), 39 percent for probable alcohol abuse, and 3 percent for probable drug use. Men reported more alcohol and drug use than women, but there were no gender differences in PTSD or other mental health conditions. Veterans returning from Iraq reported more depression or functioning problems and more alcohol and drug use than those returning from Afghanistan. Army and Marine veterans reported worse mental and physical health than Air Force or ... Read more
Related support groups: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Drug Dependence, Alcohol Dependence
U.S. Military Women Exposed to More Combat Than Ever Before
Posted 19 Jan 2012 by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, Jan. 19 – Female American soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan have been involved in more combat than in prior wars and have the same post-traumatic stress disorder rate as men, a new study has found. For the study, researchers looked at over 7,000 active-duty soldiers who served in the war zones and found that 4 percent of female soldiers reported killing, 9 percent reported witnessing killing, 31 percent reported exposure to death and 7 percent suffered a combat-related injury. In comparison, 1 percent of female soldiers involved in the 1990-1991 Gulf War reported killing, 14 percent witnessed a death and 2 percent suffered a combat-related injury, the investigators found. For most categories of combat stress, the mental health effects on male and female soldiers who served in Iraq and Afghanistan were the same. Both had the same rate (18 percent) of post-traumatic stress ... Read more
Related support groups: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
PTSD, Respiratory Problems May Be Linked in 9/11 Responders
Posted 30 Dec 2011 by Drugs.com
FRIDAY, Dec. 30 --Among 9/11 responders at the World Trade Center, the onset of respiratory problems and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) seems to be strongly correlated, with indications that PTSD may lay the groundwork for the development of breathing issues, a new study finds. "This study illustrates the integral relationship between mental health and physical diseases that WTC responders suffer," study co-author Dr. Benjamin Luft said in a Stony Brook University Medical Center news release. "The analysis not only shows that relationship but also connects PTSD as a possible co-factor in responders' diseases," said Luft, medical director of Stony Brook's World Trade Center Health Program. The findings, he suggested, add ballast to the view that "the illnesses suffered by 9/11 responders are a compilation of problems that often present as an entire syndrome of diseases and ... Read more
Related support groups: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Police at No Greater PTSD Risk Than General Public: Study
Posted 2 Dec 2011 by Drugs.com
FRIDAY, Dec. 2 – Police officers who have to draw or fire their gun or use other weapons often report feeling powerless, guilty, angry and fearful afterward, Canadian researchers report. But despite being at greater risk for experiencing such traumatic events, police officers are no more likely to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than the general population, according to a new Canadian study published by the Occupational Health & Safety Research Institute Robert-Sauve. In the study, researchers evaluated 83 police officers in Montreal and elsewhere who had experienced a traumatic event, such as having to draw or fire their guns or use another type of weapon. About 80 percent reported feeling powerless, while 59 percent experienced intense fear. More than half were angry, 17 percent were guilty and 2 percent said they felt shame over the event. The study revealed that ... Read more
Related support groups: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Past Trauma May Contribute to Bowel Disorder
Posted 31 Oct 2011 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, Oct. 31 – Major psychological and emotional events experienced over a lifetime may contribute to the development of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), according to a new study. Researchers looked at 2,623 people and found that psychological and emotional traumas – such as divorce, death of a loved one, house fire, car accident, and mental or physical abuse – were more common among adults with IBS than those without the condition. Dr. Yuri Saito-Loftus, of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., was scheduled to present the findings Monday at the annual scientific meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology in Washington, D.C. "While stress has been linked to IBS, and childhood abuse has been reported to be present in up to 50 percent of patients with IBS, at a prevalence twice that of patients without IBS, most studies of abuse have focused on sexual abuse with sparse ... Read more
Related support groups: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Care for Mentally Ill Vets at VA Centers May Differ Across U.S.
Posted 19 Oct 2011 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 19 – The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs rivals other health care systems in the quality of care it provides to mentally ill veterans, but there are huge discrepancies in the level of care offered in various facilities across the country, according to a new study. Investigators with RAND Corporation, a non-profit research organization, also noted that mental health services for veterans don't come cheap, costing more than $12 billion in 2007 alone. "While the VA does a better job at providing mental health services than other health care systems, there is still substantial room for improvement," the study's lead author, Dr. Katherine Watkins, a senior natural scientist with RAND, said in a news release from the corporation. "With some changes, the VA could provide even better and more cost-effective care for the nation's veterans, as well as serve as a model for ... Read more
Related support groups: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Researchers Assess What Works Best to Prevent PTSD
Posted 6 Oct 2011 by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, Oct. 6 – New research suggests certain long-term psychotherapies may do a better job than an antidepressant in preventing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following a traumatic event. The Israeli research team also found that delaying treatment for PTSD didn't seem to boost a person's risk of chronic symptoms. "A delayed intervention is an acceptable option when early clinical interventions cannot be provided," as might be the case during wars or disasters, the study authors wrote. The researchers, from Hadassah University Hospital in Jerusalem, added that shorter-term treatment approaches that do not first include patient assessment or diagnosis have not been shown to prevent PTSD. In the study, the team recruited 242 patients who had suffered from a recent traumatic event (an average of about 10 days prior) and then had experienced subsequent acute stress. The ... Read more
Related support groups: Lexapro, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Mixed Results Seen With 'Off-Label' Use of Antipsychotics
Posted 27 Sep 2011 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, Sept. 27 – Even though off-label use of atypical antipsychotic drugs is common, a new review finds that such use is only effective in a few conditions and can be harmful in others. Also known as "second-generation" antipsychotics, these drugs are approved in the United States for treatment of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression. But off-label use – or use not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration – of these drugs to treat a number of other conditions is growing. Researchers analyzed findings from 393 clinical studies to gauge effectiveness and uncover harmful side effects when Risperdal, Zyprexa, Seroquel, Abilify, Geodon, Saphris, Fanapt and Invega were used outside of FDA-approved indications. Off-label use included treatment for behavioral symptoms in dementia, anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorders, post-traumatic ... Read more
Related support groups: Anxiety, Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Insomnia, Seroquel, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Abilify, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Geodon, Zyprexa, Schizophrenia, Risperdal, Seroquel XR, Saphris, Risperidone
Effects of Combat Stress May Not Last as Long as Thought
Posted 30 Aug 2011 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, Aug. 30 – The intense combat stress experienced by soldiers deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan or other war-torn countries may prime their brains for the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but new research suggests these changes don't last as long as previously thought. PTSD is an anxiety disorder that develops after witnessing or surviving a traumatic event. Symptoms may include vivid flashbacks of the event, edginess, sleeping difficulties including nightmares and/or avoidance of any situation that may remind you of the trauma. These symptoms can appear at any time after the trauma. The amygdala is the part of the brain where strong emotions such as anger or fear arise. Researchers used functional MRI scans to measure activity in this region of the brains of 23 soldiers who were sent to Afghanistan for four months. They compared the results of these scans to ... Read more
Related support groups: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Survivors of Brain Hemorrhage May Experience PTSD
Posted 9 Aug 2011 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, Aug. 9 – One-third of people who survive a nearly fatal subarachnoid hemorrhage – a type of stroke that involves bleeding into the brain – experience the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), researchers have found. The trigger for these disabling symptoms seems to be the survivors' fear of having another brain hemorrhage, which is most often caused by a ruptured aneurysm. These fears may persist even though patients' risk for a recurrence remains low, at between 1 and 3 percent, according to Adam J. Noble of King's College London and colleagues. In conducting the study, published in the August issue of Neurosurgery, Noble's team analyzed 142 patients who were assessed for PTSD symptoms up to 18 months after they had experienced a brain hemorrhage. About one in three patients met criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD, the researchers noted. Their symptoms included ... Read more
Related support groups: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Intracranial Hemorrhage
Months After Shootings, Many Virginia Tech Students Suffered PTSD
Posted 5 Aug 2011 by Drugs.com
FRIDAY, Aug. 5 – Post-traumatic stress disorder was reported by 15.4 percent of Virginia Tech students several months after the shooting rampage at the school in April 2007, a new study indicates. During the attack by a lone gunman, 49 students and faculty members were shot and 32 of them died. Factors most strongly associated related to post-traumatic stress among the students were the death or injury of someone close to them and the inability to confirm the safety of friends for up to two hours after the shootings, the survey revealed. "The stressors most responsible for post-traumatic stress among Virginia Tech students had to do with social relationships – deaths and injuries involving friends and anxiety about the safety of friends," co-principal investigator Virginia Tech sociology professor Michael Hughes said in a university news release. His team's survey of more than 4,600 ... Read more
Related support groups: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Many Military Vets in College Plagued By Thoughts of Suicide
Posted 4 Aug 2011 by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, Aug. 4 – American military veterans attending college are far more likely to entertain thoughts of suicide than fellow students who have never been in the military, a new national survey indicates. Data from the poll paints a grave picture of these students' mental health: Nearly half of all vets currently in higher education say they have considered suicide at some point in their lives, while one in five say they have actually made plans to go through with it. Such figures far exceed estimates of suicidal tendencies among college students who have never been in the military, the research team noted. "The data suggest that the problems experienced by soldiers while on active duty don't end when they separate from the service," said study author David Rudd, of the National Center for Veterans Studies at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. "Rather, a large number of ... Read more
Related support groups: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Use of Antipsychotic Medication For Reducing Symptoms of Military-Related Chronic Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Does Not Appear Effective
Posted 3 Aug 2011 by Drugs.com
CHICAGO, Aug. 2, 2011—Patients with military-related, chronic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and symptoms that were not improved with use of an antidepressant medication did not experience a reduction in PTSD symptoms with use of the antipsychotic medication risperidone, according to a study in the August 3 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on violence and human rights. Posttraumatic stress disorder is among the most common and disabling psychiatric disorders among military personnel serving in combat. Antidepressants are the predominant pharmacotherapy for PTSD, and within the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), 89 percent of veterans diagnosed with PTSD and treated with pharmacotherapy are prescribed serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs), according to background information in the article. "However, SRIs appear to be less effective in men than in women and less effective in c ... Read more
Related support groups: Lexapro, Zoloft, Prozac, Celexa, Paxil, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Citalopram, Fluoxetine, Sertraline, Risperdal, Risperidone, Paroxetine, Luvox, Escitalopram, Paxil CR
Antipsychotic Doesn't Ease PTSD in Vets, Study Finds
Posted 2 Aug 2011 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, Aug. 2 – An antipsychotic drug widely used to treat soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may not be as effective as once thought. A new study in the Aug. 3 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association found that six months' treatment with risperidone did not reduce veterans' PTSD symptoms, including anxiety, paranoia and depression, or improve their quality of life. "Obviously, this gives us pause" about using risperidone to treat patients who aren't responding to antidepressants, said study author Dr. John H. Krystal, director of the clinical neuroscience division at the Veterans Administration's National Center for PTSD. Some 10 percent to 20 percent of soldiers returning from war zones such as Iraq and Afghanistan develop PTSD – a condition marked by emotional numbing, nightmares, flashbacks of terrifying events and severe anxiety – with very ... Read more
Related support groups: Lexapro, Zoloft, Prozac, Celexa, Paxil, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Citalopram, Fluoxetine, Sertraline, Risperdal, Risperidone, Paroxetine, Luvox, Escitalopram, Paxil CR
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