Trauma And Violence

As historians and mental health professionals both know, in the words of the writer William Faulkner, “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.”

Data suggest that it is important for mental health professionals to screen for interpersonal violence and provide relevant treatment referrals. A selection of widely available and validated interpersonal violence screening measures are described in this slideshow.

According to male rape myths, boys and men cannot be sexually abused. The truth is, the figure is staggering. Yale Psychiatry’s Joan Cook, PhD, offers new insights working with this population.

Men face many obstacles in disclosing sexual abuse and assault histories to their clinicians and the public at large. More in this video.

In November 2018, the National Rifle Association (NRA) taunted physicians by tweeting, “Someone should tell self-important anti-gun doctors to stay in their lane.” In response, physicians, including psychiatrists, insisted that firearm death, suicide, injury, and trauma are indeed our lane.

How we respond to political issues in society is the quintessential ethical challenge mental health clinicians face today. Should psychiatrists set aside diagnosis of public figures amidst sweeping changes in the United States?

It’s not mental illness.

Many refugees have been victims of severe violence that has profoundly affected their physical, psychological, and spiritual lives. Take home points here.

This article explores why Enduring Personality Change After Catastrophic Experience (EPCACE) is a clinically useful diagnosis.

Verbal de-escalation involves validating a patient’s experience, establishing a collaborative relationship, and finding solutions to ensure the patient’s needs are met. More in this quiz.

A close analysis of the psychodynamics of Cain’s crime shows us something important about his mentality-not to be confused with mental illness.

If psychiatrists can stand ready to help survivors of cults and kidnappings, and returning POWs, how is a child suicide-bomber applicant with approving parents any different?

Successful, trauma-informed care for patients with serious mental illness requires providers to assess, acknowledge, and treat trauma.

Focusing on concerning behaviors may better assist with prevention than sensationalizing individual perpetrators’ motives.

A quiz on sex imbalance, anxiety disorders, and trauma.

In the spirit of Human Trafficking Awareness Month, we hope this short quiz raises awareness when considering clinical vulnerability in victims.

The mental health challenges that arose in Vietnam over the course of the war were in many respects both prodigious and unprecedented. An estimated 200 psychiatrists, including two women, served in Vietnam with the Army, Navy, and Air Force between 1964 and 1973.

This collection brings together topics on trauma and stress that are neglected in the current literature.

Besides being sad, patients who are depressed often feel disgruntled, resentful, or irritable. Such emotions can lead to violence in people who are predisposed to such behavior. Consider the questions in this quiz.

Two evidence-based psychosocial treatments are available for trauma-based nightmares. The authors provide a case illustration for each method.

In addition to psychosocial problems, there is a growing realization that PTSD may also lead to or exacerbate chronic medical health conditions.

This article summarizes literature on post-disaster mental health and describes the public health crisis in Puerto Rico. Special attention is given to highlight higher suicide rates and PTSD that develop in post-disaster areas.

The author addresses some of the complexities in assessing and managing treatment-resistant PTSD.

Recent studies have demonstrated the wide-reaching adverse effects of being bullied in childhood. These effects range from impaired academic performance to interest in cosmetic surgery.

We can encourage more responsible media coverage of mass shootings in an effort to cut down on “copy-cat” killings. Here are 4 guidelines.