Module 3

Question 1

According to Giller (1999) what makes an event traumatic?

Answer 1

The event overwhelms the individual’s ability to cope and is perceived as threatening the persons’s life, safety, psychological integrity.

Question 2

What are some factors that increase the risk of development vicarious trauma in psychologists?

Answer 2

Level of social support, training and workload, duration in role, previous experience, job satisfaction, interactions with clients.

Question 3

According to Couineau (2014) what is the strongest risk factor for vicarious trauma?

Answer 3

A sense of isolation both at home and at work.

Question 4

What are some warning signs of vicarious trauma?

Answer 4

Withdrawal from friends and family, increased irritability, sleeping difficulties including disturbing dreams, changes in patterns of work, increased use of alcohol.

Question 5

What can an individual worker do to protect themselves from vicarious trauma?

Answer 5

C - Connection
A - Awareness
R - Resourcing
E - Effectiveness

Question 6

What are some strategies to manage strong negative emotions?

Answer 6

• Be prepared - use mindfulness and grounding
• Keep accessing positive emotions
• Don’t use drugs and alcohol to cope or numb yourself

Question 7

What is the Assumptive World Theory of trauma?

Answer 7

We all live with a number of cognitive schemas that can be challenged or shattered when an individual is exposed to a traumatic event.

• The idea of a benevolent world
• Meaningfulness of the world
• Worthiness of self

Question 8

What is Brewin’s model of trauma?

Answer 8

Information processing occurs at two levels following a traumatic event

• Verbally accessible memories - involves conscious processing of the traumatic experience and its recall
• Situationally accessible memories - encoded with emotions but not necessarily with verbal access, cannot be deliberately accessed

Question 9

How did Freud conceptualise trauma?

Answer 9

A failure of the fundamental regulation of humans to achieve pleasure over pain. Traumatic events are excitations from the outside which are powerful enough to break through the protective shield.

Question 10

What are the biological impacts of trauma?

Answer 10

• Brain engages in allostasis, releasing various neurotransmitters
• When this reaction is sustained, there is a loop between hypothalamus + amygdala
• Triggers hormone release, immune response, inflammation and metabolic activity = allostatic load

Question 11

What factors does Giller (1999) say are likely to increase psychological trauma?

Answer 11

• If it occurs in childhood
• Is repeated, unpredictable, multifaceted
• Is caused by a human, especially a caregiver

Question 12

What is the 12-month and lifetime prevalence of PTSD in Australia?

Answer 12

4.4% and 7.2%

Question 13

What are some risk factors for PTSD?

Answer 13

• Females twice as likely as men
• Military personnel experience rates of PTSD double the national rate
• Rates are 50% for victims of rape and torture

Question 14

According to Brewin, Andrews & Valentine (2000), which factors carry the highest risk for PTSD?

Answer 14

Those associated with the event or after the trauma

Question 15

What are the 3 important factors contributing to PTSD, as outlined by Sherin & Nemeroff (2011)

Answer 15

1. Endocrine Factors - abnormal cortisol and thyroid hormone levels, disregulation of HPA-axis, low cortisol
2. Neurochemistry - abnormal regulation of neurotransmitters
3. Brain Circuitry - abnormalities in hippocampus, amygdala and corpus callosum

Question 16

What changes were made to the diagnostic criteria for PTSD in the DSM-5?

Answer 16

• Exclusion of electronic exposure as a source of trauma
• Removal of the criteria for intense emotional reaction
• Inclusion of four rather than 3 symptoms cluster

Question 17

What is the difference between ‘chronic’ and ‘acute’ PTSD?

Answer 17

Chronic - symptoms longer than 3 months

Acute - symptoms less than 3 months

Question 18

According to Creamer & Carty (2016), what the rate of comorbidity with PTSD?

Answer 18

80-85% meet the diagnostic for atleast one other psychiatric diagnosis

Question 19

What are the two treatments for PTSD considered as evidence-based by the APA?

Answer 19

• Trauma-focused CBT

- Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing

Question 20

How does EMDR help in the treatment of PTSD?

Answer 20

It is thought that by recalling the traumatic event while engaging in REM, that brain is able to integrate and process the traumatic memories.

Question 21

How does exposure therapy work?

Answer 21

Exposing client to memory over and over again to build their tolerance in dealing with it.

Question 22

What are the prevalence rates for PTSD in police officers?

Answer 22

Approximately 7-26%, somewhere in the range of two to eight times higher than the general population

Question 23

What factors have been shown to predict PTSD in first responders?

Answer 23

• Young and single
• Caucasian, less previous trauma, less critical incident
• Psychiatric impairment, social dysfunction
• Sustaining an injury during the incident

Question 24

What three work-related factors are thought to increase stress-related reaction following traumatic events in first responders?

Answer 24

• Organisational characteristics
• Patient care
• Interpersonal environment

Question 25

What did Marmar et al (2006) find were the variables predictive of PTSD development?

Answer 25

• Greater peri-traumatic distress and dissociation
• Greater problem-solving coping
• Higher levels of routine work stress
• Low levels of social support

Question 26

What are some protective factors in PTSD?

Answer 26

• Greater self-worth
• Use of self-enhancing cognitions
• Cognitive-based coping

Question 27

What questions might you ask when using the Explanatory Model?

Answer 27

• What do you call this problem?
• What do you believe is the cause of this problem?
• What do you think this problem does inside your body?
• How does it affect your body and mind?

Question 28

What percentage of refugees have experienced a traumatic event?

Answer 28

90-95%

Question 29

What is the prevalence rate of PTSD in refugees?

Answer 29

One in three

Question 30

What is the definition of terrorism?

Answer 30

A doctrine about the presumed effectiveness of a special form or tactic of fear-generating, coercive political violence

Question 31

What are three types of terrorism?

Answer 31

Ethnic - based upon grievances by ethnic minorities in an attempt to create or defend a distinct identity
Ideological - protest against the dominant political, economic and social system based upon political principles
State-based - state terrorism and state-sponsored terrorism

Question 32

What views does Terror Management Theory hold about terrorism?

Answer 32

People develop strong cultural worldviews that allow them to view themselves as important beings that exist in and contribute to a meaningful world.

Question 33

What view does Cognitive Behaviour Theory argue about terrorism?

Answer 33

When events significantly challenge our cognitive structures, people can develop distortions that impact on their emotions and behaviours.

Question 34

What types of changes are associated with Post-Traumatic Growth?

Answer 34

Self-Perception - come through the event and feel stronger, recognise resilience, feel developed as a person
Interpersonal Relationships - feel relationships with loved one are stronger, improved communication
Life Philosophy - greater appreciation for life, greater happiness

Question 35

What are two categories do theories of post-traumatic growth fall into?

Answer 35

Cognitive reappraisal - changes in a person’s belief

Growth is an illusion - maladaptive coping mechanism