Complex PTSD and identification with the aggressor among survivors of childhood abuse.

Background: Childhood abuse (CA) is a risk factor for trauma-related disorders including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD). This severe form of interpersonal trauma may result in "identification with the aggressor" (IWA), in which the individual may take on the beliefs, perspectives, and behaviors of the perpetrator. Although previous evidence suggests that IWA may be particularly related to CPTSD as compared to PTSD, there has been no study that investigated this hypothesis.

Close Relations, Practitioners or Social Networks: What Affects the Selection of Infant Formula Products?

This study examines which factors influence the preferences of mothers seeking advice on the use of infant formula in feeding practices. The effects of their close social circle, medical professionals and social network forums on feeding choices were evaluated. Data were collected from 638 questionnaires from mothers and were statistically analyzed.

Introduction to In Session special issue: Psychotherapy for complex PTSD.

Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD) is a condition resulting from exposure to chronic, interpersonal traumatic events, in which some form of control or power dynamics existed. Its clinical picture includes the main symptom clusters of posttraumatic stress disorder, accompanied by dysregulated emotion, problems in interpersonal relationships, and difficulties in identity integration. In addition, both clinical work and research have shown CPTSD to include highly distressing and complicated psychological phenomena, such as identification with the aggressor, various forms of dissociation, self-harm and self-destructive behaviors, and more.

Peritraumatic dissociation and posttraumatic stress symptoms: the moderating role of perceived threat.

Although peritraumatic dissociation (PD) is viewed as a risk factor for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), prospective studies taking into account other well-known risk factors for PTSD have been scarce, and the exploration of potential moderators within the relations between PD and PTSD has been lacking. Filling this gap, this prospective study explored the moderating role of perceived threat within the relations between PD and PTSD, above and beyond age, gender, education, and early trauma-related symptoms. A convenience sample of 200 Israeli civilians filled out self-report questionnaires during the peritraumatic phase (T1) and one to two months after the posttraumatic phase (T2) of being exposed to rocket attacks.

When one tool is not enough: An integrative psychotherapeutic approach to treating complex PTSD.

Complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) is a term representing the psychopathological implications of exposure to chronic, inter-personal trauma. These include the main symptoms of PTSD, as well as changes in identity, emotion regulation, and inter-personal relationships. Self-harm and dissociation (i.

Implementation of Evidence-Based Practice and Burnout Among Occupational Therapists: The Role of Self-Efficacy.

Importance: Implementing evidence-based practice (EBP) is essential for ensuring optimal quality care and obtaining positive outcome in treatment. Occupational therapists generally hold positive attitudes toward EBP; however, EBP is not always fully implemented.

Objective: To explore the mediating role of self-efficacy on the relationship between implementing EBP and burnout among occupational therapists.

A Prospective Study of the Mediating Role of Tonic Immobility and Peritraumatic Dissociation on the 4 DSM-5 Symptom Clusters of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

Tonic immobility (TI) and peritraumatic dissociation (PD) are common peritraumatic reactions associated with psychopathology following trauma. The present study aimed to test whether TI and PD mediated the relationship between perceived threat during an episode of rocket shelling and subsequent posttraumatic stress symptoms. In a prospective study among 226 Israeli civilians, data were collected both during rocket shelling, between May 14, 2021, until ceasefire on May 21, 2021 (T) and 1 to 2 months after ceasefire (T).

Sensory modulation and trauma-related symptoms during rocket attacks.

Background: War is a highly traumatogenic experience that may result in trauma-related symptoms during exposure. Although most individuals exhibit recovery after the trauma ends, symptomatology during exposure may serve as an initial indicator underlying symptomatology at the posttraumatic phase, hence the imperative to identify risk factors for trauma-related symptoms during the peritraumatic phase. While research has uncovered several factors associated with peritraumatic distress, such as age, gender, history of mental disorder, perceived threat, and perceived social support, the role of sensory modulation has not been explored.

Testing previously proposed models of the Tonic Immobility Scale in a peritraumatic sample of Israeli civilians: Support for a three-factor model.

Objective: Tonic immobility (TI) is a peritraumatic response to extreme threats. It is associated with trauma psychopathology and poor treatment outcomes. Yet, previous psychometric evaluations have yielded inconsistent results regarding the number of latent factors of the Tonic Immobility Scale (TIS).

Posttraumatic Growth, Dissociation and Identification With The Aggressor Among Childhood Abuse Survivors.

Childhood abuse puts individuals at risk for psychopathology and psychiatric symptoms such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anxiety symptoms. At the same time, research has indicated that some survivors report positive transformations in the aftermath of their trauma, known as posttraumatic growth (PTG). Yet the essence of PTG reports is questionable, and some scholars claim that it may reflect maladaptive illusory qualities.

Child abuse and eating disorder symptoms: Shedding light on the contribution of identification with the aggressor.

Background: Childhood abuse has been increasingly recognized as a risk factor for eating disorder symptoms. Additionally, it has been demonstrated that childhood abuse may lead to identification with the aggressor, an automatic defensive process, to survive the abuse. Although it has been clinically implied, the role of identification with the aggressor as a potential mechanism underlying the relation between childhood abuse and eating disorder symptoms has not yet been empirically explored.

A Complex Relationship: Intimate Partner Violence, Identification With the Aggressor, and Guilt.

This study explored the relation between guilt and identification with the aggressor (IWA) and the moderating role of IWA in the relation between intimate partner violence (IPV) and guilt. An online survey was conducted among a convenience sample of 700 women. IPV survivors demonstrated elevated guilt, and IWA was related to guilt.

Hyper-Sensitivity to the Perpetrator and the Likelihood of Returning to Abusive Relationships.

Study Questions: Although most women who are subjected to intimate partner violence attempt to leave their abusive partners, many return, and resultantly are at risk for even greater violence. Research to date has documented relations between several factors (income and economic dependence, frequency of intimate partner violence (IPV), fear of violence escalations, history of childhood abuse, and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms) and women's returning to their abusive partners. Nevertheless, the contribution of women's emotional bonds with their violent partners, known as identification with the aggressor (IWA), in explaining their perceived likelihood of going back to the relationship, has remained unclear.

Shorter Telomeres Among Individuals With Physical Disability: The Moderating Role of Perceived Stress.

Objectives: Evidence suggests that individuals with physical disability may suffer from psychological distress and accelerated cellular aging, manifested by shortened telomere length (TL), compared with healthy individuals. Studies indicate that high levels of perceived stress and depression may increase the physiological susceptibility and, thus, may contribute to a short TL. However, the moderating role of perceived stress and depression within the relationship between physical disability and TL remains unknown.

Painful bonds: Identification with the aggressor and distress among IPV survivors.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a global health problem that often results in a variety of mental health detriments, including trauma-related distress and depressive symptoms. According to the trauma literature, IPV victims may develop strong bonds with their perpetrators - a phenomenon known as identification with the aggressor (IWA) - in order to survive the abuse. Yet, this defensive reaction may endure after the abuse has ended, and may adversely affect victims' mental health.

Profiles in COVID-19: peritraumatic stress symptoms and their relation with death anxiety, anxiety sensitivity, and emotion dysregulation.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic might be experienced as an ongoing traumatic event and could result in peritraumatic stress symptoms. Evidence implies that individuals' levels of death anxiety, anxiety sensitivity, and difficulties in emotion regulation may contribute to their peritraumatic stress symptomatology in the aftermath of trauma exposure.

Objective: The current study aimed to explore these hypotheses in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Emotion Regulation and Distress During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Childhood Abuse.

The COVID-19 pandemic may be experienced as traumatogenic and may fuel or exacerbate psychological distress and trauma-related symptoms. Based on trauma research, one might expect that survivors of childhood abuse would be susceptible to these negative outcomes during the pandemic, and that among this population a stronger relation between emotion regulation difficulties and symptomatology would be found. Aiming to explore these suppositions, an online survey was conducted among 710 Israeli adults.

The longitudinal associations between attitudes to aging and attachment insecurities among combat veterans.

For combat veterans, the trauma of war can have lasting effects, that may later extend to attitudes toward one's own aging (ATOA). The present study sought to examine whether attachment insecurities may help to predict ATOA in later life, while also exploring the moderating role of combat exposure concerning the effects of attachment insecurities on subsequent ATOA. A cohort of 171 veterans of the Israeli 1973 Yom Kippur War (mean age = 68.

The Toll of Feeling Older: Subjective Age Moderates the Associations Between Anxiety Sensitivity and Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression During the COVID-19 Epidemic.

Objectives: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is an ongoing stressor that may have detrimental effects on mental health. Theoretical and empirical literature implies that individuals who are characterized by catastrophic appraisals of somatic cues, a tendency known as anxiety sensitivity, as well as by older subjective age, might be particularly vulnerable to depression and anxiety during the pandemic. Furthermore, subjective age might moderate the relations between anxiety sensitivity with depression and anxiety symptoms.

Peritraumatic reactions during the COVID-19 pandemic - The contribution of posttraumatic growth attributed to prior trauma.

Trauma survivors who suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms may be particularly vulnerable when facing the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet trauma exposure may also lead to salutogenic outcomes, known as posttraumatic growth (PTG). Nevertheless, the implications of PTG attributed to prior trauma, for trauma survivors' adjustment when facing additional stressors, are unclear.

Childhood Sexual Abuse and Sexual Motivations - The Role of Dissociation.

The present study sought to examine the relations between a history of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and sexual motivations and to explore the moderating role of dissociation within these relations. The study was conducted among 889 men and women (ages 18-70). Results indicated a history of CSA was significantly related to higher scores on self-affirmation, coping, partner approval and peer pressure sexual motivations.

Psychological distress related to COVID-19 - The contribution of continuous traumatic stress.

Objective: The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is a substantial stressor that could eventuate in psychological distress. Evidence suggests that individuals previously exposed to traumatic events, and particularly to continuous traumatic stress (CTS), might be more vulnerable to distress when facing additional stressors. This study aimed to investigate these suppositions in the context of the ongoing shelling of Israel from the Israel-Gaza border, which continues even amidst the COVID-19 crisis.

Sexual Dysfunction and Distress Among Childhood Sexual Abuse Survivors: The Role of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Background: Research has revealed that survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) have elevated sexual dysfunction and distress. Nevertheless, a vast majority of studies examining sexual dysfunction and distress among CSA survivors were conducted among women only, and the moderating role of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms between a history of CSA and sexual dysfunction and distress is yet to be investigated.

Aim: To fill this gap, the present study aimed to investigate the following: (i) are there sex differences in the relations between CSA and sexual dysfunction and distress and (ii) whether PTSD symptoms mediate the relations between CSA and sexual dysfunction and distress.