Trauma

Question 1

What is the new definition of trauma

Answer 1

A person was exposed to one or more of the following events:

1. death or threatened death
2. actual or threatened serious injury
3. actual or threatened sexual violation

Question 2

Trauma can be experienced in one or more of the following ways

Answer 2

• experiencing event themselves
• witnessing the event as they occur to others
• learning that the event occurred to a close relative or friend
• experiencing repeated or extreme exposure to aversive details

Question 3

Emotional abuse and traumatic exposure

Answer 3

may no longer qualify as traumatic exposure

-can lead to similar psychological outcomes as physical abuse

Question 4

bereavement vs grief

Answer 4

bereavement- recent loss of a sig person due to death

Grief- Emotional response of bereavement bot emotional and physical

Question 5

What are 3 common emotional responses to trauma & grief

Answer 5

Dissociation;

-Derealization: the world seems remote, altered or unreal since event

Depersonalization- the self seems unreal and biconnected from emotions

Amnesis- memory gaps about emotionally charged issues

Question 6

Criteria for dx of PTSD

Answer 6

traumatic even + sig psychological difficulty after the trauma

(DSMV symptoms >1m)

Question 7

Symptoms of sig psychological difficulty after the trauma may include (PTSD):

Answer 7

• distressing and intrusive memories
• Intense emotional upset/ongoing or exaggerated anxiety
• avoidence of reminders of the event
• reliving the event through dreams and flashbacks

Question 8

What is acute stress disorder

Answer 8

ASD is a term for PTSD symptoms that don’t last long enough to constitute PTSD

Question 9

What is adjustment disorders

Answer 9

Adjustment disorders occur when an individual experiences overly emotional rxns to milder life circumstances

(life events such as break ups, moving etc)

Question 10

What is persistent complex bereavement/prolonged grief

Answer 10

dx for those who have difficulty getting over loss of a loved one and have difficulty moving on w life

Question 11

brain chemistry perspective on post traumatic stress + drugs used to tx

Answer 11

NT of intrest involved in post traumatic stress response include deficits in norepinephrine and serotonin

tx: Norepinephrin and serotonin

Question 12

Brain changes noticed in PTSD (3)

Answer 12

hippocampus- reduced volume in PTSD

Amygdala- active in acute and post-traumatic stress

Medial prefrontal cortex- underresponsive

Various changes to HPA axis

Question 13

What psychological factors make certain people more likely to respond poorly to trauma (2)

Answer 13

Negative Emotionality (tendency towards mood swings)

Being interpersonal cold and domineering

Question 14

What is the first line therapy for PTSD

Answer 14

exposure therapies

Question 15

What is the CBT approach to trauma

Answer 15

focus on educating clients about typical responses to trauma

-work on challenging automatic beliefs about event

Question 16

what is emotional processing theory

Answer 16

This theory attributes post traumatic stress to dysfunctional fear structures

-2 common irrational beliefs in post traumatic stress include

• -the world isn’t safe
• -A persons symptoms prove that they’re craxy and that they cant manage their distress

Question 17

What is dual representation theory

Answer 17

holds that peiple cognitevely encode trauma through dual representations (VAMs and SAMs)

verbally accessible memories- memories that can be recalled and expressed in words

Situationally accessible memories- memories that are not consciousness available,can only be elicited by stims

Question 18

How does cognitive processing therapy work

Answer 18

focuses on helping client not overgeneralize from traumatic to other situations

Question 19

What is negative appraisal theory

Answer 19

negative appraisal theory holds that people develop PTSD when they process past traumas in a way that produces ongoing sense of threat

Question 20

Goals of therapy for negative appraisal theory (3)

Answer 20

1. altering negative appraisals of trauma
2. Reducing re-experienceing the trauma by elaborating mems of it and identifying triggers
3. Eliminating dysfunctional cognitive and behavioural strategies

Question 21

What is stress inoculation training

Answer 21

combines various CBT techniques to decrease avoidence/anxiety related to trauma

–education, relaxation, breathing techniques and thought stopping

Question 22

What is mindfulness and acceptence approaches to trauma

Answer 22

goal to stay in touch w present moment rather than be preoccupied by trauma mems
-mindful and accepting feelings leads to better coping

Question 23

What is eye movement desenitization reprocessing

Answer 23

clients imagine traumatic events while engaging in bilateral stimulation

bilateral stim: rhymic exposure to alternating left right stim with eyes (auditory and tactile stim also sometimes used)

when effective anxiety rapidly decreases w each set of bilateral movements

Question 24

What is posttraumatic growth

Answer 24

Positive changes following crisis

–Therapy guids trauma survivors to devise new understandings in light of what they have been thru as rumination may be good