Psychological trauma : theory, research, practice and policy最新文献

Objective: Posttraumatic growth refers to positive psychological changes that individuals may experience following exposure to trauma. This study examines the factor structure and item-level properties of the Korean version of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (K-PTGI), which was adapted from the original PTGI by Song et al. (2009). Based on a mixed Korean sample of college students, psychiatric patients, and general population adults (N = 808), they proposed a shortened 16-item, four-factor version. The present study reexamines the K-PTGI using the Rasch model to evaluate its psychometric validity.

Method: Data were collected through an online survey from a sample of 1,500 Korean adults. Factor analysis was conducted to investigate the factor structure of the scale and the Rasch model was applied to analyze item fit, item difficulty, and the appropriateness of response categories.

Results: The K-PTGI demonstrated a stable five-factor structure, which more closely aligns with the original five-factor PTGI model while retaining culturally distinct characteristics. However, two spiritually themed items showed misfit, likely reflecting cultural differences in the expression of spiritual growth. Additionally, the 6-point Likert scale was deemed appropriate, consistent with the original measure.

Conclusions: Overall, the K-PTGI demonstrates strong validity, but future revisions should prioritize revising spiritually themed items and developing lower difficulty items to better capture early-stage posttraumatic growth. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

Objective: The early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic posed severe psychological challenges to health care workers (HCWs). This study examines the acute psychological symptoms, coping responses, and posttraumatic growth among HCWs in Southern Turkey during the first wave of the outbreak. It aims to establish a baseline understanding of the initial psychological impact that preceded the development of chronic conditions documented in later pandemic phases.

Method: A cross-sectional, web-based survey was conducted between April 30, 2020 and May 15, 2020, among 639 HCWs from two COVID-19 referral hospitals in Kahramanmaraş, Turkey. Recruitment was conducted through internal hospital email lists and secure messaging groups. The survey was anonymous, and no incentives were offered. Participants completed the Turkish versions of the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21, Coping Responses Inventory, and Posttraumatic Growth Inventory. Ethical approval was obtained, and informed consent was provided electronically. The completion rate was 93.8%.

Results: Elevated psychological distress was observed, with scores indicating symptoms of depression in 60.0% of participants, anxiety in 54.4%, and stress in 41.8%. Female HCWs, nurses, and those with chronic conditions showed significantly higher Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 scores. Passive coping styles-particularly helplessness and submissiveness-were more frequently used by women. Simultaneously, participants reported moderate to high levels of posttraumatic growth, especially in dimensions of self-perception and life philosophy. As this was a cross-sectional study conducted in two hospitals, the findings have limited generalizability and do not permit causal inferences.

Conclusions: This study provides a critical snapshot of HCWs' psychological state during the earliest and most chaotic stage of the pandemic. The co-occurrence of distress and posttraumatic growth suggests a complex response to trauma. The prominence of passive coping strategies may contribute to long-term psychological sequelae, such as burnout. These findings highlight the urgent need for early institutional interventions that promote adaptive coping and support personal growth during public health emergencies. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

Objective: This study examined the impact of neighborhood violence levels on the mental health of 462 women living in Chicago. We were interested in studying differences in mental health symptoms among women who were parents/caregivers and those without children.

Method: Geographic information system mapping was used to total the number of violent crimes within a 0.25-mile radius of each participant's home 6 months prior to their interview. Correlations were run to assess the relation between trauma history, neighborhood violent crime, and mental health. Hierarchical multiple regressions were performed to assess whether the relationship between neighborhood violence levels or trauma history and mental health symptoms was impacted by parent/caregiver status.

Results: Parent/caregiver status did not impact the relationship between trauma history and mental health (posttraumatic stress, B = -.20, SE = .48, p = .677 and depression, B = .15, SE = .31, p = .618), nor did it impact the relationship between neighborhood violence and posttraumatic stress (B = .023, SE = .025, p = .359). However, there was a conditional effect of neighborhood violent crime level on depression for parents (B = .04, SE = .2, p = .004), such that parents had higher levels of depression when living in areas of higher crime than nonparents.

Conclusions: Being a parent/caregiver introduces a unique set of stressors into an individual's life, as they are now responsible for the well-being of someone other than themselves. To support parents and families, it is important that researchers, practitioners, and policymakers understand how different environmental factors, such as neighborhood crime, uniquely impact them. This study indicates that parents may suffer from more depressive symptoms because of the crime level around their homes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

Objective: Youth in South Africa often face continuous traumatic stress in their communities. Following a multisystemic and strengths-based approach, this study examined predictors of outcome resilience, that is, showing better-than-expected levels across multiple well-being indicators, among a sample of South African high school students living in two such communities. The sample consisted of 423 students, with a mean age of 16.87 years, 62.40% female students, and 84.80% self-identified as Black.

Method: A latent profile analysis identified distinct well-being profiles based on self-reported levels of depression, posttraumatic stress symptoms, physical health, and school engagement. A classification tree approach explored potential multisystemic resource combinations underpinning the identified profiles. Individual, caregiver, family, peer, teacher, and community resources were analyzed.

Results: Three well-being profiles were identified: normative (sample-mean levels across outcomes; n = 222), resilient (better-than-expected levels across outcomes; n = 152), and nonresilient (worse-than-expected levels across outcomes; n = 49). Females were overrepresented in the nonresilient profile (87.80%), while the gender ratio was almost equal in the resilient profile (52.70% females). The resilient profile was most likely linked to a combination of high levels of individual, caregiver, family, and peer resources, while low levels of caregiver, family, and spiritual/religious community resources best predicted the nonresilient profile. The normative profile was characterized by having at least one but not all of these resources.

Conclusions: These findings underscore the necessity of a comprehensive, multisystemic approach in resilience research and practice, highlighting how synergistic resource combinations can foster positive outcomes despite pervasive trauma in underserved populations. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

Objective: The objectives of this scoping review were to summarize (a) common types of positive childhood experiences (PCEs) among Indigenous Peoples and (b) the relationship between PCEs and mental health among Indigenous Peoples.

Method: This scoping review examined research conducted in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States (Settler States and territories) whose samples included Indigenous participants. The databases that were searched include PubMed, APA PsycInfo, CINAHL, and Web of Science. The review also examined gray literature consisting of dissertations, conference abstracts and proceedings, and nonacademic statistical reports. Data were screened, selected, and extracted by a team of four independent reviewers. Thematic analysis, theoretically grounded by multisystemic resilience, was conducted and presented to frame a discussion of the evidence on PCEs and mental health among Indigenous Peoples.

Results: A total of 57 sources were included after full-text review. The body of research represented diverse methodologies ranging from culturally centered qualitative methods, such as yarning circles, to brief intervention studies providing family- and/or school-based resilience promotion services. Four major types of PCEs emerged from the analyses, consisting of relations, culture, land, and identity. Existing research indicated that PCEs were positively associated with improved mental health outcomes among Indigenous Peoples. No harmful associations were reported among the included sources.

Conclusions: Current research suggested that PCEs serve as multisystemic pathways to supporting Indigenous well-being. PCEs are relevant to strengths and resilience-focused programs that promote the health and well-being of Indigenous Peoples. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

Objective: The multifaceted risk associated with war and terrorism challenges professionals in providing care matched to needs. While exposure to war and terrorism situations elevates risks of various mental and physical health issues, risk factors are not uniform across individuals and may vary given less apparent but equally powerful sources of distress. Recognizing this challenge, we adapted the Psychosocial Assessment Tool (PAT), a brief screening tool of psychosocial risk, for individuals exposed to war and terrorism (PAT-WT).

Method: First, an adaptation of the original PAT for the context of war and terrorism was conducted. Then, the new version (PAT-WT) was implemented in an expedited validation pilot study among N = 112 individuals with various types and levels of exposure to war- and terror-related traumatic events.

Results: The PAT-WT was found to be valid and consistent with the original PAT. In addition, it correlated with the General-Health Questionnaire (ρ = 0.54, p < .01), indicating its ability to identify high emotional distress among war-exposed individuals. Larger clinical-risk groups were identified compared to prior PAT versions, highlighting the impacted population's vulnerability. However, community cohesion offered a buffer against posttraumatic stress.

Conclusions: While further validation is needed, the PAT-WT shows promise as a comprehensive tool for assessing psychosocial risk factors that may link to adverse biopsychosocial outcomes following exposure to extreme traumatic events related to war and conflict. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

Objective: Nonoffending parents (NOPs) of children who have experienced sexual abuse often endure vicarious trauma and self-blame for not being able to protect their child, which can contribute to the development or worsening of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. This study examines the influence of posttraumatic cognitions on PTSD in NOPs of sexually abused children, aiming to elucidate the role of internalized posttraumatic cognitions through a novel model. In other populations, moral injury has been established as a factor exacerbating PTSD development and persistence, yet the impact of moral injury-related cognitions is uncharted, so exploring the impact of negative posttraumatic cognitions as a result of morally injurious experiences in an NOP population may provide clinical utility as a potential therapeutic target and support the long-term recovery of their child.

Method: Employing path analysis on 151 NOPs, who completed an online questionnaire, the present study tested the hypothesis that negative posttraumatic cognitions, particularly self-blame, foster PTSD through impaired emotion regulation and diminished self-compassion.

Results: The analysis confirmed a significant indirect impact of negative cognitions on PTSD via the mediators, explaining 41% of the variance in PTSD symptoms among NOPs, and a good fit for the intrapersonal maladaptive posttraumatic cognitions of PTSD. As 49% (n = 75) of the NOPs reported experiencing their own personal history of abuse, the role of personal childhood sexual abuse was explored with the model finding no significant difference between familial versus nonfamilial abuse of the child or personal childhood sexual abuse on the NOP regarding PTSD. However, multiple disclosures of childhood sexual abuse by their child significantly increased PTSD levels. This underscores the potential pivotal role of negative self-directed cognitions and emotional dysregulation in aggravating PTSD symptoms.

Conclusions: Confirming the theoretical importance of posttraumatic cognitions in understanding NOPs' PTSD, the findings highlight the detrimental effects of maladaptive intrapersonal cognitions. Addressing these through enhanced self-compassion and emotion regulation could markedly benefit therapeutic outcomes for NOPs and their children. This represents a pioneering approach to PTSD interventions, focusing on the critical aspect of moral injury mitigation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

Objective: Young children are overrepresented among people who lose housing in the United States, and the stressors of housing loss pose both direct and indirect threats to their development. Furthermore, children experiencing housing loss have often faced many other adversities, such as racism and exposure to neighborhood-level risks. At the same time, many go on to meet developmental milestones, including positive socioemotional adjustment. This study used a developmental resilience science lens to document psychosocial adjustment (measured via the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire) of young children in an emergency shelter in a U.S. city and identify environmental factors associated with this positive outcome.

Method: Participants were 125 caregivers (M = 31.61 years old, SD = 8.12; 84.0% biological mothers) and their children (M = 5.29 years old, SD = 0.86; 61.6% Black, 20.8% bi/multiracial, 9.6% Native American, 4.8% White). In the shelter setting, caregivers completed surveys and structured interaction tasks with children. Hierarchical linear regression was used.

Results: Parenting quality and lower cumulative adversity were associated with better child psychosocial adjustment, but no interaction effect was observed between the two. Access to community resources (environmental safety and daycare/preschool enrollment) did not relate to psychosocial adjustment.

Conclusions: These findings support growing evidence that parenting protects development amid housing loss and related risks and that housing instability can disrupt community-level resilience resources, increasing the relative importance of proximal protections like parenting. Strengthening caregivers' functioning while maintaining children's access to community resources can protect child well-being amid housing loss. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

Objective: Moral injury correlates significantly with posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and suicide, affecting soldiers' combat effectiveness and well-being. Despite growing awareness, it is an emerging research area, mainly studied in Western military cohorts. In China, research on its mechanisms and influencing factors in the unique social-cultural context is scarce. Retired college soldiers are crucial, being high-quality military reserves and national defense educators. Their moral injury during service impacts postretirement adaptation and college conscription. Thus, exploring the internal mechanism of moral injury in this group has great academic and practical significance.

Method: A multifaceted sampling approach, including snowball, purpose-based, and third-party introduction sampling, was used to select 20 retired college soldiers for interviews. NVivo 12 software was used to process the data. Content analysis based on grounded theory involved three-level hierarchical encoding. An iterative verification loop ensured data saturation for a reliable final theoretical model.

Results: Moral injury stems from potential events, but actual injury requires role conflict and cognitive dissonance. Role conflict pits competing roles against each other, while cognitive dissonance mismatches beliefs and actions. Six factors modulate this process: stereotypes, role identity, personality traits, attribution styles, moral resilience, and rumination, which can either worsen or buffer moral injury.

Conclusions: This study innovatively explores moral injury's internal mechanism in Chinese society, creating a culture-specific framework. Future research should further investigate moral impairment in the Chinese context. Intervention projects can target influential factors like role identity, stereotypes, and personality to manage role conflict, reduce cognitive dissonance, and enhance moral resilience, thus safeguarding well-being. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

Objective: Suicide rates among Black youth have risen dramatically over the past 2 decades, yet research that centers the experiences of Black adolescents and emerging adults remains limited. Furthermore, suicide prevention science continues to be dominated by deficit-based models. In response, this systematic review synthesizes the empirical literature on strengths-based protective factors associated with reduced suicidal thoughts and behaviors among Black adolescents and emerging adults.

Method: Guided by the integrative model for the study of stress in Black American families (Murry et al., 2018) and strengths-based models of resilience (e.g., Hamby, 2025; Masten, 2001; Ungar, 2013), we conducted a critical interpretive synthesis of peer-reviewed studies published between January 2015 and March 2025. Inclusion criteria included U.S.-based, original research on Black youth ages 10-29 that assessed both suicidality and strengths-based protective factors. A total of 53 studies met the criteria and were analyzed using a deductive qualitative approach aligned with the critical interpretive synthesis framework.

Results: Six domains of protection emerged: (a) intrapersonal psychological assets, (b) kinship support, (c) collective socialization, (d) Black cultural identity, (e) hope and future orientation, and (f) religious and spiritual coping. Protective effects were strongest when support systems were culturally rooted, developmentally attuned, and identity affirming.

Conclusion: This review proposes the Black Youth Thriving Framework for Suicide Prevention. This strengths-oriented framework offers a corrective to deficit-based paradigms and lays the foundation for the development of culturally responsive and developmentally appropriate suicide prevention and intervention strategies tailored to the needs of Black adolescents and emerging adults. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).