𝔖 Bobbio Scriptorium
✦   LIBER   ✦

Posttraumatic stress disorder in older adults: an overview of characteristics and treatment approaches

✍ Scribed by Maria Böttche; Philipp Kuwert; Christine Knaevelsrud

Publisher
John Wiley and Sons
Year
2011
Tongue
English
Weight
150 KB
Volume
27
Category
Article
ISSN
0885-6230

No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.

✦ Synopsis

Objective

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common and disabling condition following a traumatic event. Despite its high prevalence rates, relatively little is known about the manifestation and course of the disorder in older adults. Moreover, there has been little evaluation of the efficacy of psychotherapeutic treatment approaches for older patients.

Design

This overview aims to summarize available data on the prevalence and symptoms of late‐life PTSD and to review the current treatment approaches for older adults.

Results

The course and severity of PTSD symptoms in older adults depend on the time the trauma occurred (early versus late life). In the case of acute traumatization, lower prevalence rates and symptom severities are generally observed in older than in younger populations. In the case of early‐life traumatization, a decline in PTSD symptom severity can be observed over the life course. Research on treatment approaches has produced promising results, indicating that disorder‐specific interventions (i.e., trauma confrontation and cognitive restructuring) can be effectively combined with an age‐specific narrative life‐review approach.

Conclusion

Given the limited empirical evidence, caution is warranted in generalizing the reported findings. Nevertheless, it is possible to draw a number of conclusions concerning the characteristics and treatment of PTSD in older adults. Further research is needed to better understand the various presentations of PTSD in late life and to validate and improve the effectiveness of available treatment approaches. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

📜 SIMILAR VOLUMES

An overview of posttraumatic stress diso
An overview of posttraumatic stress disorder in African Americans
✍ Tanya N. Alim; Dennis S. Charney; Thomas A. Mellman 📂 Article 📅 2006 🏛 John Wiley and Sons 🌐 English ⚖ 112 KB 👁 1 views

While several studies have found high rates of trauma exposure there is limited information on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and its relationship to depression in the African American population. The prevalence and/or expression of psychiatric disorders can differ between racial/ ethnic group

Treatment of bipolar disorder in older a
Treatment of bipolar disorder in older adults
✍ Martha Sajatovic 📂 Article 📅 2002 🏛 John Wiley and Sons 🌐 English ⚖ 90 KB 👁 1 views

## Abstract ## Background It has been reported that 10% of all patients with bipolar disorder develop their illness after the age of 50, with bipolar disorder accounting for 5–19% of mood disorder presentations in the elderly. There has been a growing awareness regarding the manifestation of bipol

An overview of research findings on the
An overview of research findings on the nature of posttraumatic stress disorder
✍ Paula P. Schnurr; Matthew J. Friedman 📂 Article 📅 1997 🏛 John Wiley and Sons 🌐 English ⚖ 151 KB 👁 3 views

In this article we review current knowledge about the nature of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in order to assist clinicians in the diagnosis and treatment of reactions to traumatic life events. The review is limited to information about PTSD in adults, although some of the material may genera

Treatment of nightmares in the context o
Treatment of nightmares in the context of posttraumatic stress disorder
✍ Philip R. Gehrman; Gerlinde C. Harb 📂 Article 📅 2010 🏛 John Wiley and Sons 🌐 English ⚖ 110 KB 👁 1 views

## Abstract Nightmares are a common feature of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and are frequently resistant to treatment. Two emerging treatments for nightmares are pharmacotherapy with prazosin and psychotherapy using imagery rehearsal (IR). A case illustration demonstrates the application of

Mechanisms of anger and treatment outcom
Mechanisms of anger and treatment outcome in combat veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder
✍ David Forbes; Ruth Parslow; Mark Creamer; Nicholas Allen; Tony McHugh; Mal Hopwo 📂 Article 📅 2008 🏛 Springer 🌐 English ⚖ 245 KB 👁 1 views

## Abstract Research has identified anger as prominent in, and an influence on, treatment outcome for military veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study examined factors influencing the relationship between anger and outcome to improve treatment effectiveness. Participants comp