When the attention control condition works: A systematic review of attention control training for posttraumatic stress disorder.

Attentional bias and deficits in attentional control are associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Attention control training (ACT) may address these factors. We reviewed randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of ACT for PTSD to address unanswered questions about ACT's effectiveness, tolerability, and implementation.

Firearm Homicide Mortality is Linked to Food Insecurity in Major US Metropolitan Cities.

Background: Gun violence disproportionately affects metropolitan areas of the United States (US). There is limited information regarding the influence of social determinants of health, such as food insecurity (FI) on firearm homicide mortality (FHM) in major metropolitan cities in the US. We sought to examine the relationship between FI and FHM.

A Bifactor Evaluation of Self-Report and Clinician-Administered Measures of PTSD in Veterans.

The PTSD Checklist for (PCL-5) and the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for (CAPS-5) are two of the most widely used and well-validated PTSD measures providing total and subscale scores that correspond with PTSD symptoms. However, there is little information about the utility of subscale scores above and beyond the total score for either measure. The current study compared the proposed four-factor model to a bifactor model across both measures using a sample of veterans ( = 1,240) presenting to a Veterans Affairs (VA) PTSD specialty clinic.

Predicting Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Treatment Response Using Heart Rate Variability to Virtual Reality Environment and Modified Stroop Task: An Exploratory Study.

Predicting treatment response can inform treatment decisions, expectations, and optimize use of mental health treatment resources. This study examined heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV), and a modified Stroop task (mStroop) to predict post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatment response. We report on an observational, longitudinal study with 45 U.

Tropical Storms and Hurricanes in New Orleans Lead to Increased Rates of Violent Injury.

Objective: The effects of named weather storms on the rates of penetrating trauma is poorly understood with only case reports of single events currently guiding public health policy. This study examines whether tropical storms and hurricanes contribute to trauma services and volume.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional review of tropical storms/hurricanes affecting New Orleans, Louisiana, during hurricane seasons (June 1-November 30) from 2010-2021, and their association with the rate of penetrating trauma.

Association Between Markers of Structural Racism and Mass Shooting Events in Major US Cities.

Importance: The root cause of mass shooting events (MSEs) and the populations most affected by them are poorly understood.

Objective: To examine the association between structural racism and mass shootings in major metropolitan cities in the United States.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This cross-sectional study of MSEs in the 51 largest metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) in the United States analyzes population-based data from 2015 to 2019 and the Gun Violence Archive.

The armory project: Partnering with firearm retailers to promote and provide voluntary out-of-home firearm storage.

Introduction: In this article, we describe the development of a regional firearm storage network organized by investigators affiliated with the Department of Veterans Affairs and run by small business, firearm retailers who were also U.S. Veterans.

The Firearm Implicit Association Test: A Validation Study.

Firearm violence causes significant public health burden, but there is a lack of research concerning motivations for firearm access despite clear epidemiological risk. Developing robust tools to measure attitudes toward firearms and firearm-related behaviors can improve our ability to conduct firearm violence research. We aimed to develop a feasible and effective tool that could indirectly measure firearm beliefs.

Examining the unique and interactive associations of gender and race on PTSD symptom severity among military sexual trauma survivors.

Objective: Despite a robust association between military sexual trauma (MST) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), few studies have examined factors that are associated with increased symptom severity. To this end, the current study was designed to examine the unique and interactive effects of gender and race on PTSD symptoms using a sample of MST survivors.

Method: The sample included 126 veterans (71% Women, 29% Men; 70% Black/African American and 30% White/Caucasian) presenting for psychological services to a MST specialty clinic at a large Southeastern Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital.

Pain and posttraumatic stress: Associations among women veterans with a history of military sexual trauma.

Objective: Chronic pain and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are two highly prevaxlent and comorbid conditions common within veteran populations. Notably, those with comorbid pain and PTSD tend to have more severe presentations and poorer quality of life than those with either disorder alone. Despite this well-established relationship, limited research has examined the association between pain and PTSD symptom severity among women veterans with a history of military sexual trauma (MST).

Coping in crisis: The role of psychologists in response to a pandemic.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a major impact on the world. In the United States, healthcare systems have been taxed, medical supplies depleted, and healthcare providers overburdened by the increased need. Although psychologists cannot provide medical services, we possess a unique skillset that can alleviate some of the stress placed on healthcare providers, answer important questions about how this disease impacts patients, and support the growing mental health needs of providers and patients alike.

Correlates of death among SARS-CoV-2 positive veterans: The contribution of lifetime tobacco use.

Despite a growing body of research examining correlates and consequences of COVID-19, few findings have been published among military veterans. This limitation is particularly concerning as preliminary data indicate that veterans may experience a higher rate of mortality compared to their civilian counterparts. One factor that may contribute to increased rates of death among veterans with COVID-19 is tobacco use.

PTSD and Attitudes Toward Guns Following Interpersonal Trauma.

Gun violence is a serious public health concern that is currently grossly understudied. Gun attitudes are a potential risk factor for gun violence; however, factors related to gun attitudes have not been identified. Mental illness such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is commonly discussed as a key factor in gun violence, despite research lacking in this area, and it is unknown whether symptoms of PTSD and probable PTSD are associated with more positive attitudes toward guns.

Examining the Relationships Between Perfectionism and Obsessive-Compulsive Symptom Dimensions Among Rural Veterans.

Perfectionism, a trait-like individual difference variable reflecting the tendency to set extremely high standards along with critical evaluations of one's own behavior, has long been regarded as a risk and maintenance factor for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, research exploring the relationship between these constructs is mixed. One explanation for these equivocal findings is the heterogeneous nature of OCD.

Childhood trauma exposure and gun violence risk factors among victims of gun violence.

Objective: Gun violence is a serious public health concern, yet risk factors for gun violence involvement remain understudied. Childhood trauma exposure, such as domestic violence (DV) and community violence (CV), may increase the risk for aggression, although this relationship has not been examined in the context of gun violence. The aim of the current study was to investigate whether different childhood trauma ecologies are related to increased gun violence involvement and gun violence risk factors among individuals hospitalized for a gun injury.

Motivational Interviewing for Victims of Armed Community Violence: A Nonexperimental Pilot Feasibility Study.

Objective: The present study aimed to develop a novel, hospital-based motivational interviewing (MI) intervention for victims of armed community violence (MI-VoV) targeting patient-specific risk factors for future violence or violent victimization.

Method: This uncontrolled pilot feasibility study examined a sample of patients (n = 71) hospitalized due to violent injury at a Level 1 Trauma Center in [Location Redacted for Masked Review] between January 2013 and May 2014. Patients first participated in a brief assessment to identify risk factors for violence/violent injury.

Heart Rate Variability and Cognitive Bias Feedback Interventions to Prevent Post-deployment PTSD: Results from a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Introduction: There is a long history of pre-deployment PTSD prevention efforts in the military and effective pre-deployment strategies to prevent post-deployment PTSD are still needed.

Materials And Methods: This randomized controlled trial included three arms: heart rate variability biofeedback (HRVB), cognitive bias modification for interpretation (CBM-I), and control. The hypothesis was that pre-deployment resilience training would result in lower post-deployment PTSD symptoms compared with control.

Pretrauma Power and Control Beliefs and Posttraumatic Stress: A Longitudinal Study of Combat Soldiers.

Belief in one's ability to exert power and control over outcomes following trauma has long been understood as protective against the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The role of pretrauma beliefs about power and control, however, remains unclear. Though a strong pretrauma belief in power and control may similarly be protective, we predicted such a belief may actually be a diathesis for PTSD.

Heart rate variability: Pre-deployment predictor of post-deployment PTSD symptoms.

Heart rate variability is a physiological measure associated with autonomic nervous system activity. This study hypothesized that lower pre-deployment HRV would be associated with higher post-deployment post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Three-hundred-forty-three Army National Guard soldiers enrolled in the Warriors Achieving Resilience (WAR) study were analyzed.

Differentiating between appraisal process and product in cognitive theories of posttraumatic stress.

Biased appraisal is central to cognitive theories of posttraumatic stress, but little research has examined the potentially distinct meanings of the term. The ongoing process of appraising social information and the beliefs that emerge as products of that process can be distinguished conceptually. This study sought to examine whether these 2 meanings are empirically distinct as well, and if so, to begin exploring potential relations between these appraisal constructs and posttraumatic stress symptoms.

Effect of Symptom Over-Reporting on Heart Rate Variability in Veterans With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

Physiological assessment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) presents an additional avenue for evaluating the severity of PTSD symptoms. We investigated whether the presence of a high number of uncommon symptoms attenuated the relation between self-reported PTSD symptoms and heart rate variability (HRV). Participants were 115 veterans from Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom with or without PTSD.

Criminal Behavior and Repeat Violent Trauma: A Case-Control Study.

Introduction: Repeat violent injury is common among young urban men and is increasingly a focus of trauma center-based injury prevention efforts. Though understanding risk factors for repeat violent injury may be critical in designing such interventions, this knowledge is limited. This study aims to determine which criminal behaviors, both before and after the initial trauma, predict repeat violent trauma.