Publications by authors named "Beth S Gershuny"

Prior research has indicated a seemingly unique relation between obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that appears to relate to negative treatment outcome for OCD. However, to date, the prevalence of trauma and PTSD in individuals seeking treatment for OCD is unclear. To begin to address this gap, this study assessed history of traumatic experiences and current PTSD in individuals seeking treatment for treatment-resistant OCD.

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Though some researchers and clinicians postulate that trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may be implicated in the etiologic underpinnings of trichotillomania (TTM), very little research to date has examined such postulations. To address this gap in the literature, the current study assessed the prevalence of trauma and PTSD in 42 individuals seeking treatment for TTM. Relations between symptoms of PTSD and TTM also were examined, as were differences in TTM symptoms between those with and without PTSD.

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Although case reports suggest the existence of a unique relationship between obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), results from large-scale epidemiological and clinical studies have been more equivocal. Furthermore, symptom overlap may artificially inflate the significance of the relationship between OCD and PTSD. Utilizing the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory [OCI; Psychol.

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The present study examined the frequency and correlates of self-reported symptoms of posttraumatic stress among patients with HIV and medication adherence problems. Self-report data revealed that more than half of participants met diagnostic criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) according to the Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale PDS. Death anxiety was associated with overall PTSD symptom severity scores as well as severity scores for reexperiencing, avoidance, and arousal symptoms.

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Cambodian refugees with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) represent a cohort in severe need of treatment, but little information is available to guide treatment choices. We selected a sample of pharmacotherapy-refractory individuals to test the efficacy of combination treatment with sertraline and cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) for treating PTSD. Participants in this pilot study were ten Khmer-speaking women who had been at a mean age of 22-26 years during the Pol Pot period (1975-1979).

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Theoretical, clinical, and empirical implications of the functional connections between symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are abundant. As such, four cases are presented here of men and women who met criteria for comorbid OCD and PTSD. All had been diagnosed with treatment-resistant OCD and were seeking treatment from an OCD specialty clinic or institute, all reported a history of traumatic experiences prior to the onset of OCD, and all appeared to demonstrate negative treatment outcomes.

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Relations among peritraumatic dissociation, PTSD severity, event-related fear (i.e. fear experienced during traumatic event) about death, and event-related fear about losing control were examined in the current study.

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The authors examined the prevalence of self-reported childhood physical or sexual abuse in a sample of adult patients presenting for treatment of panic disorder, social phobia, or generalized anxiety disorder. Regardless of the presence of comorbid anxiety disorders or comorbid depression, patients with panic disorder had significantly higher rates of past childhood physical or sexual abuse than patients with social phobia. Patients with generalized anxiety disorder had intermediate rates of past physical or sexual abuse that were not significantly different from the other two diagnostic groups.

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Objective: The study tested the effect of comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on behavior therapy outcome for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Method: Subjects were 15 patients with treatment-refractory OCD who were admitted consecutively to a short-term residential facility. Eight met DSM-IV criteria for comorbid PTSD.

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