Publications by authors named "Maercker A"

This study assessed the prevalence rates, construct validity, predictors, and psychosocial factors linked to ICD-11 posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD (CPTSD), as assessed by the (ITQ) in a German-speaking sample of Swiss older adults. Participants were  = 1526 older adults aged 65+ ( = 72.34;  = 6.

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Background: Loss and grief pose significant challenges for victims of armed conflicts, such as Syrian refugees. Internet-based interventions (IBIs) present a promising solution to address this treatment gap and provide adequate support. However, research on grief, grief support, and IBIs remain largely limited to Western cultural contexts, and culturally adapted IBIs for grief are needed.

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Background: The new ICD-11 diagnosis of prolonged grief disorder (PGD) is characterized by the prominent role of yearning as hallmark symptom. A secondary analysis of eight international datasets on PGD was conducted to evaluate this assumption. Additionally, cross-cultural comparison explored whether the centrality of yearning differs across world regions.

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Article Synopsis
  • The ICD-11 has added more types of disorders related to trauma and stress.
  • This has caused some differences when compared to the DSM-5, which is another important guide for diagnosing mental health issues.
  • One new diagnosis being considered is called 'continuous traumatic stress reaction'.
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  • This study investigates how living difficulties after migration affect the relationship between maternal trauma and children's emotional outcomes among East African mothers seeking asylum in Israel.
  • It found that maternal PTSD symptoms typically impact children's internalizing behaviors, while maternal symptoms of complex PTSD influence both internalizing and externalizing behaviors, particularly when mothers experience high living difficulties.
  • The research suggests that addressing maternal living conditions is crucial for improving child socioemotional outcomes and highlights the need for policies that support healing from trauma in displaced populations.
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  • This study assessed a CBT-based psychotherapy program aimed at improving depression and neuropsychiatric symptoms in individuals with mild Alzheimer's dementia and their caregivers over 25 weekly sessions.
  • 41 participants were randomly assigned to either the CBT group or a control group receiving standard treatment, with follow-ups at 6 and 12 months.
  • Results showed significant improvements in clinician-rated depression, apathy, and relationship quality for the CBT group, indicating the potential benefits of this therapy for Alzheimer's patients and their caregivers.
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Background: Mobile apps provide a unique platform for mental health assessment and monitoring. They can provide real time, accessible data on symptoms of mental disorders that may yield rich data for detailed clinical assessment and help individuals gain insight into their current mental state. We developed one of the first apps for tracking symptoms of prolonged grief disorder.

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Background: Research on cultural adaptation of psychological interventions indicates that a higher level of adaptation is associated with a higher effect size of the intervention. However, direct comparisons of different levels of adaptations are scarce.

Aims: This study used a smartphone-based self-help programme called Step-by-Step (Albanian: Hap-pas-Hapi) for the treatment of psychological distress among Albanian-speaking immigrants in Switzerland and Germany.

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Background: Adjustment Disorder (AjD) is a frequent diagnosis in psychological and psychiatric consultations. Recently, the ICD-11 has introduced preoccupation and failure to adapt as core symptoms of AjD. However, empirical research that explores the various possible manifestations of preoccupation and failure to adapt in AjD patients is sparse.

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Greater loneliness as well as a lack of social connectedness have often been associated with poorer sleep. However, the temporal dynamics and direction of these associations remain unclear. Aim of the current study was to examine bi-directional associations between loneliness/social connectedness and sleep in 48 stress-exposed medical students during their first medical internship, considered a period of heightened stress.

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Article Synopsis
  • * The proposed cascade model highlights the interaction of trauma exposure, demographics, cultural affiliation, and value orientations in understanding posttraumatic development.
  • * The Network Project uses mixed methods across five countries to create and validate cultural scripts of traumatic stress inventories (CSTIs) and to investigate how these scripts influence trauma's psychological impact.
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Background: The aim of this article is to summarize the current state of research on the effectiveness of psychotherapeutic treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Methods: The results of current meta-analyses and trend-setting individual studies are summarized and the most important forms of intervention are explained.

Results: The psychotherapeutic treatment methods for PTSD are very effective, the effect sizes are large and superior to those of pharmacotherapy.

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Objectives: Existing research recognizes the critical role that social, sociodemographic, and acculturative processes play in increasing vulnerability for experiencing psychological distress among second-generation migrants. However, to date, far too little attention has been given to the study of psychological distress in this social group. The main objective of this study is to examine cultural identities, as well as expressions and causes of psychological distress among second-generation Albanian-speaking migrants in Switzerland.

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With the introduction of the ICD-11 into clinical practice, the reliable distinction between Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD) becomes paramount. The semi-structured clinician-administered International Trauma Interview (ITI) aims to close this gap in clinical and research settings. This study investigated the psychometric properties of the German version of the ITI among trauma-exposed clinical samples from Switzerland and Germany.

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Background: The novel concept of cultural scripts of trauma sequelae captures culture-specific expressions of posttraumatic distress (e.g., cognitive, emotional, interpersonal, psychosomatic changes) and their temporal associations.

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When confronted with a traumatic event, people may suffer from adverse posttraumatic outcomes, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or complex PTSD (CPTSD). Positive psychology research has shown that meaning in life and vitality are potentially correlated protective factors against negative developments following trauma exposure that can lead to PTSD or CPTSD. This systematic review aimed to synthesize global empirical research findings, emphasizing the impact of meaning in life and vitality on both PTSD and CPTSD.

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Background: The concept of cultural scripts has proven to be very useful for describing depression-like psychological complaints in different cultural regions of the world. The article presents the galaxy model and its implementation in the model of cultural scripts theoretically for the first time and connects these with cultural psychological value research. A new, extensive series of research projects aims to investigate post-trauma -related psychological complaints in various regions of the world.

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The ongoing wars in many regions-such as the conflict between Israel and Hamas-as well as the effects of war on communities, social services, and mental health are covered in this special editorial. This article emphasizes the need for international efforts to promote peace, offer humanitarian aid, and address the mental health challenges faced by individuals and communities affected by war and violence.

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Background: Loneliness is a widespread phenomenon associated with a number of negative health outcomes. Older individuals may constitute one important target group with a need for effective interventions. However, despite evidence showing that addressing maladaptive social cognition (e.

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There is a lack of research on complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) in older individuals, with little known about the temporal course of CPTSD. Therefore, this study assessed and compared the demographic characteristics, adverse childhood experiences (ACE), and well-being of Swiss older adults with and without probable CPTSD. The (in-)stability of probable CPTSD was also examined in relation to the predictive value of various emotion-related factors.

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A particular feature of the demographic change is the growing proportion of elderly and very elderly people. In Western countries, this is largely due to improved medical care for age-associated diseases. There is still comparatively little knowledge about mental health disorders in old age, their age-typical clinical presentation and specific psychotherapeutic treatment.

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Background: As a new, unifying approach to mapping the cultural expressions of trauma sequelae, cultural scripts of trauma sequelae are empirically investigated here for the first time in a primarily qualitative study. Elements of Cultural Scripts of Trauma (CST) include the typical symptoms and appraisals of changes of those who have experienced traumatic events. These elements refer to the value orientations in the given culture.

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Background: Complex posttraumatic stress disorder (complex PTSD), the most frequently suggested new category for inclusion by mental health professionals, has been included in the Eleventh Revision of the World Health Organization's International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). Research has yet to explore whether clinicians' recognition of the distinct complex PTSD symptoms predicts giving the correct diagnosis. The present study sought to determine if international mental health professionals were able to accurately diagnose complex PTSD and identify the shared PTSD features and three essential diagnostic features, specific to complex PTSD.

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We conducted a scientometric analysis to outline clinical research on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Our primary objective was to perform a broad-ranging scientometric analysis to evaluate key themes and trends over the past decades. Our secondary objective was to measure research network performance.

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