Article Review # 8

Article 41: The effects of torture-related injuries on long-term psychological distress in a

Punjabi Sikh Sample

Main summary: The study is not longitudinal. Ideally it would have followed participants over
time to who were not injured or whose injuries heal faster. It may be that there were other
factors that better delineated suffering so long after the trauma event. In addition, although
the”gold standard” diagnostic interview schedules and a rigorous method of translation-back-
translation and interpreter training, these instruments have not been validated in Pnjabi samples.
Finally despite the use of a test of malingering, the fact that participants were involved in a civil
lawsuit may be reason to suspect that some participants may have exaggerated reports of distress
in order to improve their chances for a favorable judicial decision. However, one might expect
that the legal context for this study would have resulted in precisely the opposite finding because
individuals without lasting physical injuries would have a stronger claim for damages if they
reported psychological symptoms. Thus, it appears unlikely that the findings regarding
mediation were influenced by the legal context in which data were collected.
Traumatic events in and of themselves may not account for the major share of the variance in
psychiatric outcomes, particularly in the long ter. Further research investigating the connection
between PTSD and experiences of injury is clearly needed. In particular, the effects of rapid
medical attention may be critical to reducing the frequency and severity of subsequent
psychopathology. Our data suggest that persistent physical injuries.

Personal findings: There didn’t seem to have a large enough sample size to gather the necessary
information.
Article 42: Rape, Torture, and Traumatization of Bosnian and Croatian women:
Psychological Sequelae

Main Summary: Sexual torture is deeply traumatic, although it may leave no obvious physical
traces. It is necessary to facilitate the transformation of victims’ individual and personal shame
into a sense of identity and dignity. It is not possible, perhaps not desirable, to isolate and
analyze the raped women separately from the rest of a civilian population whose members are all
victims of war and atrocities. This report attempts, however, to portray their plight in such a way
as to broaden our knowledge of the psychological effects of their particular form of suffering.

Personal Findings: I agree that it is not good to separate the rated women from the
civilian population in a way to broaden the knowledge of psychological effects.

Article 43: Measuring Torture and Torture-Related Symptoms

Main Summary: The torture treatment field is in its infancy. To advance its special insights
and methods, it must avoid the uncritical use of ready-made constructs such as the DSM-III-R
diagnosis of PTSD. The problem of establishing reliable and valid measurements that “capture”
the reality of the torture experience and related disease processes reveals the complex
relationship between concepts (e.g., torture) and indicators (e.g., events and symptoms). It also
reveals the many human reaction and limitation that affects our ability to assess the “horror”
experiences by the torture survivor.
Personal Findings: There was additional research that still needs to take place in order to make
a more decisive decision and a more accurate adequate summary.

Article 44: Attention, Heart Rate, and Startle Response During Exposure to Trauma-
Relevant Pictures: A Comparison of Recent Trauma Victims and Patients With
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Main Summary: The result failed to show a higher level of generalized activation in trauma
victims than PTSD patients. Instead, both the more severely affected trauma victims and PTSD
patients showed HR acceleration to trauma-related material, which suggests that the specific
anxiety reaction is present initially. The amplitude of the HR reaction with positively and
significantly correlated with number of symptoms of ASD in recent trauma victims. There was
no evidence of trauma-related startle potentiating or of a selective attention bias in the dot-probe
task in the trauma groups.
Personal Finding: There ended up being no evidence for the potentiating or of a selective
attention bias in the dot-probe task in the trauma groups.

Article #45: Vicarious Traumatization: A Empirical Study of the Effects of Trauma

Work on Trauma Therapists

Main Summary: Trauma therapist should pay attention to their own self-care in the service of
providing high-quality, ethical services and of protecting themselves and their non professional
lives. Trauma therapies are sensitive relationships requiring the best of both parties: we can do
our part only with an adequate map and colleagues to help hold the flashlight.

Personal Finding: the elements seem rather ambiguous for the research findings.
References:
Elsesser, K., Sartory, G., & Tackenberg, A. (2004). Attention, heart rate, and startle
response during exposure to trauam-Relevant pictures: A comparison of
recent trauma victims and patients with posttraumatic stress disorder.
Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 113(2), 289-301.

Fischman, Y. P. D., & Ross, J. M. A. (1990). Group treatment of exiled survivors of

torture. Orthopsychiat, 60(1), 135-142.

Laurie, A. P., & Paula, S. M. I. (1995). Vicarious trauamatization: An empirical study

of the effects of trauam work on trauam therapists. Professional Psychology
Research and Practice, 26(6), 558-565.

Mollica, R. F., & Caspi-Yavin, Y. (1991). Measuring torture and torture-Related

symptoms. Psychological Assessment, 3(4), 581-587.

Kozaric-Kovacic, D, M.D., Folnegovic-Smalc, V. Ph.D., Skrinjaric, J. M.D, M.S, Szajnberg, N.

M.,& Marusic A.M.D., Ph.D(1995) Rape, Torture, and Traumatization of Bosnian and Croation
Women: Psychological Sequelae, Amer J Orthopsychiat 65(3), 428-433.