Psychiatry - Research Publications

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    A Pilot Study of the Efficacy of the Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders in Treating Posttraumatic Psychopathology: A Randomized Controlled Trial
    O'Donnell, ML ; Lau, W ; Chisholm, K ; Agathos, J ; Little, J ; Terhaag, S ; Brand, R ; Putica, A ; Holmes, ACN ; Katona, L ; Felmingham, KL ; Murray, K ; Hosseiny, F ; Gallagher, MW (WILEY, 2021-06)
    The Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders (UP) is an intervention that targets common mechanisms that maintain symptoms across multiple disorders. The UP has been shown to be effective across many disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder, major depressive episode (MDE), and panic disorder, that commonly codevelop following trauma exposure. The present study represented the first randomized controlled trial of the UP in the treatment of trauma-related psychopathology, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety symptoms. Adults (N = 43) who developed posttraumatic psychopathology that included PTSD, MDE, or an anxiety disorder after sustaining a severe injury were randomly assigned to receive 10-14 weekly, 60-min sessions of UP (n = 22) or usual care (n = 21). The primary treatment outcome was PTSD symptom severity, with secondary outcomes of depression and anxiety symptom severity and loss of diagnosis for any trauma-related psychiatric disorder. Assessments were conducted at intake, posttreatment, and 6-month follow-up. Posttreatment, participants who received the UP showed significantly larger reductions in PTSD, Hedges' g = 1.27; anxiety, Hedges' g = 1.20; and depression symptom severity, Hedges' g = 1.40, compared to those receiving usual care. These treatment effects were maintained at 6-month follow-up for PTSD, anxiety, and depressive symptom severity. Statistically significant posttreatment loss of PTSD, MDE, and agoraphobia diagnoses was observed for participants who received the UP but not usual care. This study provides preliminary evidence that the UP may be an effective non-trauma-focused treatment for PTSD and other trauma-related psychopathology.
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    The role of post-traumatic stress disorder and depression in predicting disability after injury
    O'Donnell, ML ; Holmes, AC ; Creamer, MC ; Ellen, S ; Judson, R ; McFarlane, AC ; Silove, DM ; Bryant, RA (AUSTRALASIAN MED PUBL CO LTD, 2009-04-06)
    OBJECTIVES: To examine the relationship between psychological response to injury at 1 week and 3 months, and disability at 12 months. DESIGN: Multisite, longitudinal study. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: 802 adult patients admitted to trauma services at four Australian hospitals from 13 March 2004 to 21 February 2006 were assessed before discharge and followed up at 3 and 12 months. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Disability, measured with the 12-item version of the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule II. RESULTS: Logistic regression identified the degree to which high levels of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at 1 week and at 3 months predicted disability at 12 months. After controlling for demographic variables and characteristics of the injury, patients with PTSD or subsyndromal PTSD at 1 week were 2.4 times more likely, and those with depression at 1 week were 1.9 times more likely to have high disability levels at 12 months. PTSD at 3 months was associated with 3.7 times, and depression at 3 months with 3.4 times the risk of high disability at 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: PTSD and depression at 1 week and at 3 months after injury significantly increased the risk of disability at 12 months. Routine assessment of symptoms of depression and PTSD in patients who have been physically injured may facilitate triage to evidence-based treatments, leading to improvement in both physical and psychological outcomes.