Rates of PTSD in Firefighters

Original Source:  https://ptsd.about.com/od/prevalence/a/Firefighters.htm

Rates of PTSD in firefighters may be heightened more so than in other professions. See, many people will experience a potentially traumatic event at some point in their life. But just because you have experienced a traumatic event does not mean that you will definitely go on to develop PTSD. However, people who have experienced multiple traumatic events have been found to be at greater risk for developing PTSD.  One group of people that may experience many traumatic events as part of their job — and Read more …

Broadly conceptualized, the term “complementary and alternative medicine” (CAM) refers to treatments not considered to be standard to the current practice of Western medicine. “Complementary” refers to the use of these techniques in combination with conventional approaches, whereas “alternative” refers to their use in lieu of conventional practices. Of course, many treatments and techniques (e.g., acupuncture) that are considered CAM within U.S. borders are elemental to conventional medicinal practices in other parts of the world. As Western practitioners and consumers increasingly adopt these approaches, the boundaries between conventional medicine and CAM continue to shift. The National Center for Complementary and Read more …

To evaluate the current evidence for effectiveness of acupuncture for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the form of a systematic review, a systematic literature search was conducted in 23 electronic databases. Grey literature was also searched. The key search terms were “acupuncture” and “PTSD.” No language restrictions were imposed. We included all randomized or prospective clinical trials that evaluated acupuncture and its variants against a waitlist, sham acupuncture, conventional therapy control for PTSD, or without control. Four randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and 2 uncontrolled clinical trials (UCTs) out of 136 articles in total were systematically reviewed. One high-quality RCT reported Read more …

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the potential efficacy and acceptability of acupuncture for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). People diagnosed with PTSD were randomized to either an empirically developed acupuncture treatment (ACU), a group cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), or a wait-list control (WLC). The primary outcome measure was self-reported PTSD symptoms at baseline, end treatment, and 3-month follow-up. Repeated measures MANOVA was used to detect predicted Group X Time effects in both intent-to-treat (ITT) and treatment completion models. Compared with the WLC condition in the ITT model, acupuncture provided large treatment effects for PTSD (F [1, 46] = 12.60; p < 0.01; Read more …

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may be the most urgent problem the U.S. military is facing today. Pharmacological and psychological interventions reduce the severity of some PTSD symptoms however these conventional approaches have limited efficacy. This issue is compounded by the high rate of co-morbid traumatic brain injury (TBI) and other medical and psychiatric disorders in veterans diagnosed with PTSD and unresolved system-level problems within the Veterans Administration and Department of Defense healthcare services that interfere with adequate and prompt care for veterans and active duty military personnel. This paper is offered as a framework for interdisciplinary dialogue and collaboration Read more …

Objective

To study the curative effect of acupoint stimulation on the earthquake-caused post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Methods

The 91 PTSD patients in Wenchuan hit by a strong earthquake were randomly divided into a control group of 24 cases treated by the cognitive-behavior therapy, and a treatment group of 67 cases treated by both cognitive-behavior therapy and acupoint stimulation. The scores were evaluated according to Chinese version of the incident effect scale revised (IES-R) and the self-compiled questionnaire for the major post-traumatic psychological condition, and the curative effect was compared between the two groups.

Results

The total scores of IES-R, Read more …

Objectives: This study examined how group auricular acupuncture may influence sleep quality, sleep patterns, and hypnotic medication use associated with PTSD-related insomnia in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans.

Design: This study was a randomized controlled trial with sham acupuncture and wait-list controls.

Setting: This study took place at the Washington, DC, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Medical Center.

Subjects: Thirty-five subjects were randomized to participate in the study, but only 25 subjects completed the study.

Interventions: Subjects were randomized to one of three groups: (1) true group auricular acupuncture; (2) sham auricular acupuncture; or (3) wait-list control.

Outcome Measures: The primary outcome measure was perceived sleep quality (as Read more …

While concerns about the psychological effects of war are not new, only recently has systematic attention been paid to such problems among past and present military personnel. There is increasing recognition that mental health has serious implications for operational performance, retention, and compensation. Although little controlled research exists with this population, preliminary evidence suggests that psychological treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder may be beneficial, albeit less so than for civilian populations. This article reviews evidence for each of several psychological treatment stages: stabilization and engagement, psychoeducation, symptom management, prolonged exposure, cognitive restructuring, and relapse prevention, with particular reference to the Read more …