Notification, Viewing the Body, and Social and Cultural Considerations After Traumatic Death: A Systematic Literature Review.

We conducted a systematic review of the medical, nursing, forensic, and social science literature describing events and processes associated with what happens after a traumatic death in the socio-cultural context of largely Western and high-income societies. These include death notification, why survivors choose to view or not view the body, forensic practices affecting viewing the body, alternatives to viewing, and social and cultural practices following the death. We also describe how elements of these processes may act to increase or lessen some of the negative cognitive and emotional consequences for both survivors and providers.

Types of COVID-19 Disaster Work and Psychological Responses in National Guard Service Members.

Introduction: The National Guard (NG) served as a critical component of the U.S. response to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

National Guard Deployment in Support of COVID-19: Psychological and Behavioral Health.

Introduction: The National Guard (NG) served as a critical component of the USA's response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, while concurrently managing their personal responses to the pandemic. Determining whether the activation of NG service members in response to the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with a greater psychological strain can identify NG's needs for mental health support.

Materials And Methods: We surveyed 3993 NG unit (NGU) service members (75% Army NG, 79% enlisted, 52% 30-49 years old, and 81% males) during the COVID-19 pandemic, with surveys administered between August and November 2020.

Daily variation in sleep characteristics in individuals with and without post traumatic stress disorder.

Background: Sleep disturbances are common in individuals with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, little is known about how daily variation in sleep characteristics is related to PTSD. This study examined the night-to-night and weekday versus weekend variation in sleep duration, sleep quality, trouble falling asleep, and difficulty staying asleep in individuals with and without PTSD.

Post traumatic stress symptom variation associated with sleep characteristics.

Background: Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and sleep problems are highly related. The relationship between nighttime sleep characteristics and next day post traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) is not well known. This study examined the relationship between the previous night's sleep duration, number of awakenings, sleep quality, trouble falling asleep, and difficulty staying asleep and PTSS the following day.

Internal consistency and factor structure of a brief scale assessing sensitivity to blood, injury, and mutilation.

Objective: US Army soldiers and military veterans experience high rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, PTSD risk factors are not fully understood. Sensitivity to blood, injury, and mutilation (SBIM), which includes fear of being injured, seeing another person injured, and exposure to mutilation-relevant stimuli (e.

Daily variation in post traumatic stress symptoms in individuals with and without probable post traumatic stress disorder.

Background: Little is known about the extent to which post traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) vary from day to day in individuals with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study examined the variation of PTSS by day of the week, and whether daily or day of week variation differs between individuals with and without probable PTSD.

Methods: Subjects (N = 80) were assessed for probable PTSD at enrollment.

Early Intervention for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Depression, and Quality of Life in Mortuary Affairs Soldiers Postdeployment.

U.S. Army mortuary affairs (MA) soldiers experience stressors of deployment and exposure to the dead, increasing risk for post-traumatic stress and depression.

Stress and resilience in military mortuary workers: care of the dead from battlefield to home.

The death of a military service member in war provokes feelings of distress and pride in mortuary workers who process the remains. To further understand their reactions, the authors interviewed 34 military and civilian personnel to learn more about their work stresses and rewards. They review stresses of anticipation, exposure, and experience in handling the dead and explore the personal, supervisory, and leadership strategies to reduce negative effects and promote personal growth.

Acute stress disorder, depression, and tobacco use in disaster workers following 9/11.

Early posttraumatic psychiatric disorders have not been well studied in disaster workers. This study examined the rates of probable acute stress disorder (ASD), probable depression, increased tobacco use, and their associated risk factors in 9/11 World Trade Center disaster workers. Surveys were obtained from 90 disaster workers (e.

The effects of deep diaphragmatic breathing and focused attention on dental anxiety in a private practice setting.

Purpose: High dental anxiety is pervasive and associated with treatment avoidance and poor oral health. Ideally, anxiety reduction techniques should be easy to use, low in cost, non-pharmacological, comfortable, and effective. This study compared the effectiveness of two self-taught anxiety reduction techniques--breathing and focused attention--with a control group.