Trauma and Physical Health: Understanding the effects of extreme stress and of psychological harm
Language: English
Pages: 272
ISBN: 0415480795
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
Trauma research and clinical practice have taught us much about the widespread problems of child maltreatment, partner violence, and sexual assault. Numerous investigations have documented links between such trauma exposure and long-term negative mental health consequences. As we learn more about traumatic stress, however, increasing attention has been drawn to the less studied physical health effects of maltreatment and trauma.
Trauma and Physical Health describes both the negative physical health effects of victimization in childhood as well as exploring theoretical models that explains these links. By bringing together new and current studies on the relationship between trauma and physical health, this edited collection assesses the clinical implications of these links. At a time when the mental health field is becoming increasingly cognizant of the value of collaboration with professionals in the physical health arena, this book suggests ways in which clinicians can work with primary care professionals to better meet the needs of trauma survivors across the lifespan. A key focus of the text is to clarify the relationship between the current knowledge base in trauma and physical health and directions for future research in primary care health settings.
With contributors from a wide range of clinical and psychological disciplines, it will be of interest to researchers, clinicians and professionals in the trauma field and to primary care professionals concerned with compassionate care for the traumatized.
been clinically and scientifically involved in the field of psychosomatic medicine for more than 35 years, with a special interest in stress-related physical disorders, particularly chronic pain and fatigue. His research focuses on the relations between these disorders and early-life stress, personality and lifestyle, and applies to psychological as well as neurobiological aspects. His publications include some 200 articles and 7 books (in Dutch) on psychosomatics and liaison psychiatry. xiii
(Ryan et al., 1996). In contrast, family support was related to stronger self-efficacy beliefs in a study of Latino college students’ adjustment to college. Students who had higher self-efficacy were more strongly persistent in their intentions. Strength of intentions also had an indirect association with better health (Torres and Solberg, 2001). The studies sited above indicate that trauma can lead to low self-efficacy. But the relationship between self-efficacy and trauma appears to be
techniques are briefly described below. RESEARCH ON SELF-EFFICACY AND SLEEP COGNITIVE-BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTION FOR SLEEP DIFFICULTIES Cognitive-behavioral intervention has proven effective in the treatment of sleep disorders. In one recent review, it was effective for 70 percent to 80 percent of patients, and was comparable to sleep medications (Morin, 2004; Stepanski and Perlis, 2000). Cognitive-behavioral interventions help with sleep because they produce changes in REM sleep. Cognitive
history of victimization to be associated with higher rates of a wide variety of health risk behaviors (Diaz et al., 2000; Felitti et al., 1998; Fergusson et al., 1997; Raj et al., 2000). Many of these behaviors have been identified by the Centers for Disease Control (2003) as contributing dramatically to leading causes of morbidity and mortality in adults including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer. For instance, in its PRESENTATION AND OUTCOMES IN PRIMARY CARE survey of mostly
sexual victimization history by their physician during routine care (Diaz et al., 2004). In the great majority of the women (141 out of 146 patients), the physician was unaware of a history of sexual victimization. Of these 141 patients, 32 (23 percent) cases were identified. Almost all (93 percent) of these young women accepted referrals for on-site psychotherapy, and 81 percent kept their initial appointments. Diaz and colleagues concluded that many patients are willing to talk to health care