Augmenting trauma-focused cognitive behavior therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder with memory specificity training: a randomized controlled trial.

Although trauma-focused cognitive behavior therapy (TF-CBT) is the recommended treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), up to one-half of patients do not respond to this intervention. There is an urgent need to develop new strategies to improve treatment response. Training people to recall specific positive memories may augment treatment gains in TF-CBT.

A pilot study of the role of the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism in response to exercise-augmented exposure therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder.

Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) is implicated in extinction learning, which is a primary mechanism of exposure therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Brief aerobic exercise has been shown to promote BDNF release and augment extinction learning. On the premise that the Val allele of the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism facilitates greater release of BDNF, this study examined the extent to which the Val allele of the BDNF polymorphism predicted treatment response in PTSD patients who underwent exposure therapy combined with aerobic exercise or passive stretching.

Cognitive Behavior Therapy vs Mindfulness in Treatment of Prolonged Grief Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Although grief-focused cognitive behavior therapies are the most empirically supported treatment for prolonged grief disorder, many people find this treatment difficult. A viable alternative for treatment is mindfulness-based cognitive therapy.

Objective: To examine the relative efficacies of grief-focused cognitive behavior therapy and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy to reduce prolonged grief disorder severity.

Moral Distress, Mental Health, and Risk and Resilience Factors Among Military Personnel Deployed to Long-Term Care Facilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Research Protocol and Participation Metrics.

Background: The earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada were marked by a significant surge in COVID-19 cases and COVID-19-related deaths among residents of long-term care facilities (LTCFs). As part of Canada's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) personnel were mobilized for an initial emergency domestic deployment to the hardest-hit LTCFs (Operation LASER LTCF) to support the remaining civilian staff in ensuring the continued delivery of care to residents. Akin to what was observed following past CAF international humanitarian missions, there was an expected increased risk of exposure to multiple stressors that may be psychologically traumatic and potentially morally injurious in nature (ie, related to core values, eg, witnessing human suffering).