Abnormal psych PTSD

Etiology of PTSD (specific cause among women)

Childbirth

Abnormal

Social deviation, often measured relating to social norms even though norms change over time (problematic definition)

Conceptual definitions

Based on societal norms and expectations (differs between cultures)

DSM

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, used by psychiatrists and psychologists to diagnose disorders, provides a manual/framework but only based on SYMPTOMS, not causes

PTSD

Normal response to an abnormal situation, lasts over 30 days and comes from a stressor

Direct Traumatic Experience examples

Death, life-threatening situations, injury, sexual violence

Indirect Traumatic Experience examples

Witnessing someone else experiencing trauma, learning someone close to you has experienced trauma, professional repeatedly indirectly exposed to details of trauma

PTSD Prevalence

1-3% of US population, 5% of men and 10% of women, trauma type affects prevalence

Co-occurring Disorders of PTSD

Depression, substance abuse, memory issues, physical and mental health problems

Biological Etiology

Genetics: hereditary components of disorders, individuals with family history at higher risk

Neurotransmitters: chemical imbalances influence mood and behavior, contributing to conditions

Brain Structure: abnormalities can be linked to PTSD or ADHD

Cognitive Etiology

Cognitive behavioral patterns: maladaptive thought patterns

Cognitive appraisal of trauma: individuals’ interpretations and ways of processing traumatic experiences shapes emotional responses and mental health outcomes

Social and Environmental Etiology

SES: economic hardship

Cultural influence: can affect how individuals seek treatment

Family dynamics: dysfunctional family relationships

Hippocampus and PTSD

Lower function and volume linked to PTSD symptoms

Amygdala and PTSD

Decreased volume and increased activity linked to PTSD symptoms (increased arousal and anxiety)

PFC and PTSD

vmPFC: decreased volume and decreased activity linked to symptoms of PTSD

Biological Correlate

A measurable biological change that is associated with a psychological condition or behavior

Biological Correlate of PTSD

Smaller hippocampal volumes

Karl et. al. aim

See if brain structure is correlated with PTSD symptoms 

Karl et. al. procedure

Correlational study, examined structural abnormalities of hippocampus, amygdala etc in people with PTSD, data gathered from a combination of 50 studies using MRI and DSM to diagnose PTSD

Karl et. al. findings

Smaller hippocampal volume had a small correlation with PTSD, weak correlation between smaller amygdala volume and PTSD

Karl et. al. evaluation

Pros: Adults and children studied, researcher trianguation, many studies increases validity

Cons: Correlational study, bidirectionality

Gilbertson et. al. aim

See whether low hippocampal volume is a symptom or etiology of PTSD

Gilbertson et. al. procedure

Twin study, MRI scans given to measure hippocampal volume, one twin had experienced trauma and the other had not

Gilbertson et. al. findings

Trauma-exposed twins who developed PTSD had smaller hippocampal volumes compared to trauma-exposed twins who hadn’t developed PTSD

Gilbertson et. al. evaluation

Pros: twin design controls for genetic variables, increases validity

Cons: correlational study, small sample size is not generalizable

Urry et. al. aim

Investigate which areas of the brain are active during cognitive reappraisal, specifically vmPFC and amygdala

Urry et. al. procedure

Experiment where participants underwent fMRI while viewing emotional pictures on a screen. Either increased their emotional response by imagining a worse outcome, decreased response by imagining the situation wasn’t real, or just look at the picture naturally.

Urry et. al. findings

”increase” condition led to heightened activity in amygdala, “decrease” condition led to heightened activity in vmPFC, vmPFC regulates amygdala

Urry et. al. evaluation

Pros: experiment demonstrates causation, highlights the role of top-down processing

Cons: small sample size, low ecological validity

Hitchcock et. al. aim

Investigate whether negative cognitive appraisals are correlated with development of PTSD symptoms in children

Hitchcock et. al. procedure

Longitudinal design where children who had experienced a one-off traumatic event were surveyed about their appraisals and their PTSD symptoms were measured

Hitchcock et. al. findings

Statistically significant correlation between negative appraisals and PTSD symptoms after six months

Hitchcock et. al. evaluation

Pros: Highlights importance of cognitive factors in PTSD development

Cons: Correlational, fMRI limitations, not generalizable to different age groups or those who have been diagnosed with PTSD

Cognitive distortion

Thinking trap that makes situations seem worse than they are

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Form of therapy that focuses on the interactions between feelings, thoughts, and behaviors and how they affect each other

Cognitive Reappraisal

Changing a negative thought to think about it in a more productive way

fMRI Machine Limitations

Measures blood flow, which is much slower than neural activity, assumes that blood flow means more activity which could be wrong

vmPFC and ACC

Parts of the frontal lobe associated with cognitive reappraisal and essential for regulating amygdala responses

James-Lange Theory

Emotional experiences result from physiological responses to stimuli

Hypofunction

Reduced activity or function of an area in the brain

Early Maladaptive Schema Model

Pervasive, dysfunctional themes about yourself and relationships that originate in childhood and persist into adulthood, shaping perception and behavior

Locus of Control

The degree to which people believe they have control over their own lives

Irish et. al. aim

Understand gender differences in the development of PTSD

Irish et. al. procedure

Correlational study researching individuals who had been in a car accident, administered questionnaires to measure income level, PTSD symptoms, severity of injuries and perceived life threat.

Irish et. al. findings

Women and those with low SES were more likely to develop PTSD

Irish evaluation

Pros: large sample size, real-life trauma, correlation with socioeconomic factors

Cons: correlational, bias, complex potential confounding variables

Luby et. al. aim

Measure whether poverty, stress and parenting styles are correlated to hippocampal volume in children.

Luby et. al. procedure

MRI, questionnaire and observations given to children. questionnaires measured cognitive, emotional and social skills.  

Interpersonal trauma

Between two people (sexual assault, domestic abuse, childhood abuse)

Causes for higher prevalence in women

Higher likelihood for interpersonal trauma, victim-blaming more common, stigma, hormonal factors, brain structure differences

Grey matter

Contains neuron cell bodies, processes signals

White matter

Contains myelinated axons, transmits signals

Importance of gray and white matter

Cognitive functioning, development, stress and environment can affect

Correlation between SES and PTSD

Negative (low SES = high PTSD risk)

Vulnerability model

When risk factors outnumber protective factors, individual is more likely to develop disorder

Protective factor

Coping strategies