PTSD research paper

Article Review

1. Article # - (just the number identifying your article, e.g. 1, 2, 3, etc.)

Article 1: Lee, C. Y., Furnham, A., & Merritt, C. (2017). Effect of the directness of the exposure and trauma type on Mental Health Literacy of PTSD. Journal of mental health, 26(3), 257-263.

2. What is the article about?

Lee, Furnham and Merritt sampled 233 participants and allocated to the participants to one of the six vignettes including direct or indirect exposure to military combat rape, and human-made disaster to establish the effect of directness exposure to traumatic events on PTSD’s Mental Health Literacy.

3. What was the purpose of this research?

This study’s purpose was to establish how direct or indirect exposure to traumatic events affects PTSD recognition. The research aimed at establishing how PTSD recognition varies in the three traumatic events, including military, rape, and human-made disasters. The authors hypothesized higher PTSD recognition in direct as compared to direct exposure to traumatic events, and the rate of recognition varies with the traumatic event.

4. Findings/results of the study?

The results of the result indicated a higher rate of PTSD recognition in direct exposure as compared to indirect exposure to trauma. As well, the rate of PTSD recognition varies with traumatic events, higher in the military and human-made disaster events and lower in rape cases. The rate of recognizing PTSD was below 50 percent, indicating lower PTSD understanding in the general public. As well, the low rate of PTSD recognition in indirect exposure to traumatic events indicates unawareness that indirect exposure to trauma leads to PTSD.

5. Any acknowledged strengths and weaknesses of the study?

The study did not acknowledge the study strengths but indicated some limitations. The small sample size is one of the study’s weakness, and the participants comprised of students and younger adults limiting the generalizability of the study findings to middle and older adult populations. As well, the study examined only three traumatic events, yet many traumatic events lead to PTSD.

6. Implications for practice, i.e. how will the results be used and knowledge applied?

The low rate of PTSD recognition in the study presents a need to raise awareness and increase education regarding PTSD, in particular, PTSD resulting from indirect exposure to traumatic events.

7. Keywords

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Mental Health Literacy, trauma, indirect exposure

Article Review

1. Article # - (just the number identifying your article, e.g. 1, 2, 3, etc.)

Article 2: Ló.pez‐Zerón, G., & Blow, A. (2017). The role of relationships and families in healing from trauma. Journal of Family Therapy, 39(4), 580-597.

2. What is the article about?

The authors of the article utilize a case study to demonstrate systematic trauma approaches relevance and benefits. Systematic approaches, in this case, addresses both interpersonal difficulties and relationship difficulties among the survivors.

3. What was the purpose of this research?

The article summarizes individual, group, and relational treatment interventions for trauma based on evidence and presents the significance of family inclusion in trauma treatment. The authors of the article challenge the systematic intervention field to offer more research, which leads to systematic approach becoming a major consideration in trauma treatment among survivors and family members.

4. Findings/results of the study?

The article documents evidence supporting cognitive processing therapy, exposure therapy, and eye movement desensitization therapy as effective individual therapies addressing interpersonal conflicts. As well, group therapy has been documented to raise normalization and social support. Couple and family therapy interventions including functional family therapy and emotionally focused therapy have been indicated to help in offering a supportive environment for the trauma survivors by increasing positive support, the connection among members of the family, reducing negative interactional cycles, and creating safety. As well, relational interventions comprising of psychoeducational elements and attention to a reconnection and bonding process within the system enhance family functioning, which is important to the treatment of trauma survivors. The article acknowledges the lack of full integration of systematic interventions in trauma treatment interventions due to the lack of efforts to increase the scope of the research indicating the effectiveness of these interventions.

5. Any acknowledged strengths and weaknesses of the study?

The authors of the article do not present any study strengths and weaknesses.

The article findings are important to increasing the use of the systematic intervention in trauma treatment. The study has indicated the effectiveness and benefits of systematic interventions in treating trauma survivors and thus the need for intensified advocacy efforts to increase their use and more research to expound on understanding these interventions. As well, more training is needed among therapist to enhance their ability to use systematic approaches.

Trauma; evidence-based practices

Article Review

1. Article # - (just the number identifying your article, e.g. 1, 2, 3, etc.)

Article 3: MacKinnon, L. (2014). Deactivating the buttons: Integrating radical exposure tapping with a family therapy framework. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy, 35(3), 244-260.

2. What is the article about?

The authors use cases to describe Radical Exposure Tapping. The article begins by defining trauma, treatments that work for PTSD, elaboration of the Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, Emotional Freedom Technique, and Radical Exposure Tapping. As well, the article documents integrating radical exposure tapping with family therapy.

3. What was the purpose of this research?

This article’s aim is to demonstrate Radical Exposure Tapping and show it as an effective intervention which can be combined with family therapy to treat the emotional reactivity of the family effectively.

4. Findings/results of the study?

The article documents the shortcomings of the various available treatments for PTSD in their integration with family therapy. According to the authors, trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy consumes time, emotional freedom technique lacks theory and thoroughness, and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing is inflexible. The study indicates that Radical Exposure Tapping taps the emotional freedom technique sequence and combines the methodology involved in eye movement desensitization reprocessing. This makes Radical exposure tapping more rigorous and flexible and effective within the family therapy context to address the emotional reactivity of the family members.

5. Any acknowledged strengths and weaknesses of the study?

The authors of the article do not present the strengths and limitations of the article.

6. Implications for practice, i.e. how will the results be used and knowledge applied?

The article’s findings are essential in trauma treatment in family therapy. The article documents the effectiveness of radical exposure tapping to address traumatic life events which emerge in family therapy and thus important to therapists seeking to address the emotional reactivity of the family members to traumatic events.

7. Keywords

Trauma, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Criterion A, emotional reactivity, emotional trigger, Radical Exposure Tapping, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, Emotional Freedom Technique, single session, brief intervention, family therapy

Article Review

1. Article # - (just the number identifying your article, e.g. 1, 2, 3, etc.)

Article 4: Saltzman, W. R. (2016). The FOCUS family resilience program: An innovative family intervention for trauma and loss. Family Process, 55(4), 647-659.

2. What is the article about?

The article uses a case to demonstrate the FOCUS Program as an innovative intervention geared towards enhancing the resilience of families contending with various traumatic events through hand-on activities which establish major stressors and reinforces resilient processes. The article offers a description of the FOCUS Program, including prompting family goals, providing family psychoeducation, developing collective family narrative, communication, and enhancing family resilience skills.

3. What was the purpose of this research?

The aim of this article is to document the primary philosophies and elements of the FOCUS Program as a program centered on family and strengths to flexibly tackle the needs of populations struggling with various trauma experiences.

4. Findings/results of the study?

The article indicates that FOCUS Program offers a platform for bringing families together, developing collective goals, and working with children, fathers and mothers and the whole family for building communication, making sense out of trauma events, and practicing skills which reinforces the resilience of the families. The article records the effectiveness of the FOCUS Program in diminishing parental depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress as well as child emotional and behavioral difficulties. As well, the program enhances the overall family functioning.

5. Any acknowledged strengths and weaknesses of the study?

The author does not document the strengths and limitation of the article.

6. Implications for practice, i.e. how will the results be used and knowledge applied?

The study results are important in behavioral healthcare entities. Since participation in the FOCUS Program is associated with diminished symptomatic behavior and distress for parents and children and enhances family resilience and child pro-social behaviors, behavioral healthcare entities should integrate principles and elements in the FOCUS Program.

Family Resilience; Family Therapy; Trauma; Loss; Narrative; Medical Trauma

Article Review

1. Article # - (just the number identifying your article, e.g. 1, 2, 3, etc.)

Article 5: Monson, C. M., Macdonald, A., & Brown-Bowers, A. (2012). Couple/family therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder: Review to facilitate interpretation of VA/DOD Clinical Practice Guideline. Journal of Rehabilitation Research & Development, 49(5), 717-728

2. What is the article about?

The authors of the article reviewed the couple and family therapy recommendations in the newest Veteran Affairs/ Department of Defense clinical practice for PTSD management to treat PTSD among in Veterans and Veterans’ families.

3. What was the purpose of this research?

The research’s aim was to review couple and family therapy recommendations made to the new version of VA/DOD clinical practice guideline to manage PTSD and offer a heuristic for behavioral health practitioners, researchers and policymakers to take into account when integrating couple and family therapy into the mental health services among Veterans and their families.

4. Findings/results of the study?

The authors documented the efficacy of behavioral couple therapy and behavioral family therapy in improving symptoms of PTSD and relationship functioning among the Veterans. As well, cognitive-behavioral conjoint therapy has been found to improve the symptoms of PTSD, enhance the satisfaction of intimate relationships, family functioning, and enhances individual mental health and welfare of the Veterans together with their partners and children.

5. Any acknowledged strengths and weaknesses of the study?

The authors do not acknowledge the strengths and limitation of this study.

6. Implications for practice, i.e. how will the results be used and knowledge applied?

The article has presented a heuristic to assist in guiding the behavioral health practitioners in planning for PTSD treatment and prevision. Since the study has documented the efficacy of couple and family therapy in PTSD treatment and enhancing the relationship and family functioning, VA/DOD mental health services can incorporate these approaches to enhance the wellbeing of the Veteran and their families.

7. Keywords

caregiver burden, clinical practice guidelines, cognitive-behavioral therapy, couple/family therapy, emotionally focused couple therapy, mental health, PTSD, rehabilitation, strategic approach therapy, Veterans.