Lucid Dreams in Veterans With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Include Nightmares.

A previous study in military veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and recurrent nightmares found a high prevalence of lucid dreaming (LD), the awareness while a dream continues that one is dreaming, and an "LD profile" characterized by frequent dream awareness and rare dream content control. Given the importance of the nightmare disturbance in PTSD, this study assessed with questionnaires the prevalence and characteristics of lucid nightmares, specifically, in a sample of 54 veterans with PTSD. Over half the sample endorsed experiencing LD, with nearly all of these individuals explicitly reporting lucidity in nightmares.

Prevalence and Characteristics of Posttraumatic Nightmares in War- and Conflict-Affected Students.

Introduction: Recurrent nightmares, frequently associated with traumatic experiences, may impair quality of life and daily functioning. However, there have been few studies of posttraumatic nightmares occurring among children and youth, in particular for trauma-exposed populations in conflict zones.

Methods: Using two quantitative data sets, this study investigates the prevalence and characteristics of recurrent nightmares among conflict-exposed young people in the Gaza Strip (N = 300) and examines the characteristics of posttraumatic nightmares and their association with academic functioning among treatment-seeking students in Gaza (N = 1093).

Neurocognitive Predictors of Treatment Outcomes in Cognitive Processing Therapy for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder: Study Protocol.

Background: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a prevalent, debilitating, and costly psychiatric disorder. Evidenced-based psychotherapies, including Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), are effective in treating PTSD, although a fair proportion of individuals show limited benefit from such treatments. CPT requires cognitive demands such as encoding, recalling, and implementing new information, resulting in behavioral change that may improve PTSD symptoms.

The nature of posttraumatic nightmares and school functioning in war-affected youth.

Children and adolescents who have experienced traumatic events demonstrate a variety of posttraumatic symptoms, including recurrent nightmares, as well as adverse reactions in the school setting. The current study examined nightmare symptoms, posttraumatic stress, sleep disturbance, and self- and teacher-reported school functioning of 64 youths in the Gaza Strip, ages 12 to 16, who have lived through three wars and experience ongoing conflict and political insecurity. Students were treatment-seeking for sleep-problems and reported, on average, five nightmares per week for an average of three years, with concomitant disrupted sleep, fear of going to sleep, and not feeling rested in the morning.

Randomized Controlled Trial of Imagery Rehearsal for Posttraumatic Nightmares in Combat Veterans.

Study Objectives: To examine the efficacy of imagery rehearsal (IR) combined with cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) compared to CBT-I alone for treating recurrent nightmares in military veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Methods: In this randomized controlled study, 108 male and female United States veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts with current, severe PTSD and recurrent, deployment-related nightmares were randomized to six sessions of IR + CBT-I (n = 55) or CBT-I (n = 53). Primary outcomes were measured with the Nightmare Frequency Questionnaire (NFQ) and Nightmare Distress Questionnaire (NDQ).

Family Characteristics Associated With Child Maltreatment Across the Deployment Cycle of U.S. Army Soldiers.

Objective: Soldier deployment can create a stressful environment for U.S. Army families with young children.

Verbal memory functioning moderates psychotherapy treatment response for PTSD-Related nightmares.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with cognitive deficits in attention, executive control, and memory, although few studies have investigated the relevance of cognitive difficulties for treatment outcomes. We examined whether cognitive functioning and history of traumatic brain injury (TBI) were associated with response to cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for PTSD-related sleep problems. In a randomized controlled trial of Imagery Rehearsal (IR) added to components of CBT for Insomnia (IR + cCBT-I) compared to cCBT-I alone for PTSD-related recurrent nightmares, 94 U.

Under-ascertainment from healthcare settings of child abuse events among children of soldiers by the U.S. Army Family Advocacy Program.

In cases of maltreatment involving children of U.S. Army service members, the U.

Influence of Sleep Disturbance on Global Functioning After Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Treatment.

Chronic insomnia and recurrent nightmares are prominent features of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Evidence from adult research indicates that these sleep disturbances do not respond as well to cognitive-behavioral therapies for PTSD and are associated with poorer functional outcomes. This study examined the effect of prolonged exposure therapy for adolescents versus client-centered therapy on posttraumatic sleep disturbance, and the extent to which sleep symptoms impacted global functioning among adolescents with sexual abuse-related PTSD.

Differential Child Maltreatment Risk Across Deployment Periods of US Army Soldiers.

Objectives: We described the risk for maltreatment among toddlers of US Army soldiers over different deployment cycles to develop a systematic response within the US Army to provide families appropriate supports.

Methods: We conducted a person-time analysis of substantiated maltreatment reports and medical diagnoses among children of 112,325 deployed US Army soldiers between 2001 and 2007.

Results: Risk of maltreatment was elevated after deployment for children of soldiers deployed once but not for children of soldiers deployed twice.

Sleep diaries of Vietnam War veterans with chronic PTSD: the relationships among insomnia symptoms, psychosocial stress, and nightmares.

Impaired sleep and nightmares are known symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the veteran population. In order to assess prospectively the sleep disturbances in this population, sleep diaries are an effective way to obtain information over an extended period of time. In this investigation, a sample of veterans (N = 105) completed daily sleep diaries for a 6-week period.

A critical review of the evidence base of imagery rehearsal for posttraumatic nightmares: pointing the way for future research.

In this article, the authors provide information on key characteristics of imagery rehearsal treatment protocols and examine the quality of reporting of randomized controlled and uncontrolled trials of imagery rehearsal for treating posttraumatic nightmares. Using a reliable and valid scale, two independent psychologists rated 16 trials. Most reports provided insufficient information on a range of variables including the definition of treatment delivery (e.

Combat-related PTSD nightmares and imagery rehearsal: nightmare characteristics and relation to treatment outcome.

The characteristics of nightmares of 48 male U.S. Vietnam war veterans with combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as revised dream scripts developed in the course of Imagery Rehearsal therapy, were examined in relation to pretreatment symptomatology and treatment outcome.

Treatment of nightmares in the context of posttraumatic stress disorder.

Nightmares are a common feature of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and are frequently resistant to treatment. Two emerging treatments for nightmares are pharmacotherapy with prazosin and psychotherapy using imagery rehearsal (IR). A case illustration demonstrates the application of these treatments with a client suffering from chronic, severe PTSD.

Imagery rehearsal for posttraumatic nightmares: a randomized controlled trial.

One hundred twenty-four male Vietnam War veterans with chronic, severe posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were randomly assigned to imagery rehearsal (n = 61) or a credible active comparison condition (n = 63) for the treatment of combat-related nightmares. There was pre-post change in overall sleep quality and PTSD symptoms for both groups, but not in nightmare frequency. Intent-to-treat analyses showed that veterans who received imagery rehearsal had not improved significantly more than veterans in the comparison condition for the primary outcomes (nightmare frequency and sleep quality), or for a number of secondary outcomes, including PTSD.

Interpersonal rejection sensitivity in childhood sexual abuse survivors: mediator of depressive symptoms and anger suppression.

This study investigated whether interpersonal rejection sensitivity serves a mediating role between childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and three long-term psychological correlates of CSA in adult female survivors: depressive symptoms, anger suppression, and attenuated emotional expression. Interpersonal rejection sensitivity has been shown to be a risk factor for the development of depression and is elevated in CSA survivors. Similarly, attenuated emotional expression, particularly anger, has been related to adjustment difficulties in CSA survivors.

Behavioral assessment of public-speaking anxiety using a modified version of the Social Performance Rating Scale.

The current study aimed to extend the evaluation of the utility of the Social Performance Rating Scale (SPRS) [Behav. Res. Ther.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy for social anxiety disorder: supporting evidence and future directions.

The present paper examines the role of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) in the treatment of social anxiety disorder (SAD). A cognitive-behavioral model of SAD is first presented. Different modalities of CBT for SAD are then described, including exposure, cognitive restructuring, relaxation training, and social skills training, and evidence supporting their efficacy is reviewed.