Screening for Trauma-Related Sleep Disturbance in Women Admitted for Specialized Inpatient Treatment

Abstract

The authors designed a Sleep Disturbance Screening questionnaire to assist clinicians in disentangling trauma-related factors that contribute to sleep disturbance from other common factors, such as depression. They administered the questionnaire to 129 female psychiatric inpatients, most of whom were treated in a specialty program for trauma-related disorders. Confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses distinguished four sleep disturbance scales, two pertaining to sleep disturbance generally (Insomnia, Hypersomnia) and two pertaining to sleep-related fear (Intrusive, Phobic). Correlations of the sleep disturbance scales with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (Bernstein et al., 1994), Impact of Event Scale-Revised (Weiss & Marmar, 1997), Dissociative Experiences Scale (Bernstein & Putnam, 1986), Beck Depression Inventory (Beck & Steer, 1993), and selected scales of the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI-III; Millon, 1994) show evidence of convergent and discriminant validity for the Sleep Disturbance Screening. The findings point to the potential diagnostic value of screening for trauma-related sleep disturbance, with the Sleep Disturbance Screening providing a small set of key questions that may be used in psychometric form or incorporated into routine diagnostic clinical interviews.     

Launch of Body,Movement & Dance in Psychotherapy

This article explores time-limited dance movement psychotherapy (DMP) with a female offender diagnosed with borderline personality disorder looking particularly at the development of the therapeutic relationship and attachment theory. DMP can help increase the ‘capacity to think’ and provide alternative approaches for managing emotions opposed to ‘acting out’ difficulties in relating. The therapeutic relationship in DMP can provide a containing, holding environment in the absence of healthy attachments, early experiences of deprivation and trauma. Laban Movement Analysis, psychodynamic and mentalisation approaches were used to underpin the assessment, formulation and therapeutic interventions.     

Effectiveness of different molecular forms of C. histolyticum class I collagenase to recover islets

One factor that may contribute to variability between different lots of purified collagenase to recover islets is the molecular form of C. histolyticum class I (C1) collagenase used in the isolation procedure. Two different enzyme mixtures containing C1, class II (C2) collagenase and BP Protease were compared for their effectiveness to recover islets from split adult porcine pancreas. The same enzyme activities per g trimmed tissue were used for all isolations with the only difference being the mass of C1 required to achieve 25,000 collagen degradation activity U/g tissue. The results show no differences in performance of the two enzyme mixtures. The only significant difference is 19 fold more truncated C1 was required to achieve the same result as intact C1.     

On the Dimensionalities of the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES) and the Dissociation Questionnaire (DIS-Q)

Abstract

The dimensionalities of the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES) and the Dissociation Questionnaire (DIS-Q) have been explored by factor analysis by a number of investigators. The general claim is that both scales are multidimensional. However, we argue that, in both cases, this ap parent multidimensionality is a form of range restriction that arises because some symptoms are more common than other symptoms. As a result, the resulting subscales derived from the multifactor solutions are so highly intercorrelated as to be incapable of meaningful discriminant validity. The current findings support a more parsimonious single factor solution for both scales.     

Outsiders to Love: The Psychopathic Character and Dilemma

This article describes key characteristics of psychopaths. Their dangerousness stems not only from the unexpected deceit in a world that generally runs on trust, but also from the psychopath's ability to tap into and intermesh with peoples' dissociated need, greed, fears, and sadism. Psychopathic character is understood in terms of a dissociative structure of interlocking self-states in which a ruthless instrumentality is dominant and in which there is a severe dissociation of attachment need. The character problem and dilemma originates in the experience of being an outsider to love, outside the fabric of the social order and emotional world shared by others. The envy of the emotional bonding that others have drives them to seek to destroy it in others. It is argued that although it is human to have some characteristics of evil, sadism, and psychopathy, psychopaths themselves fit into a taxon, a category. The dangerous possibility of psychopathy as an incipient social ego ideal is discussed.     

Dissociative experience during childbirth

Objective: A dissociative experience refers to phenomena such as depersonalization, derealization, amnesia, out of body experience, altered time perception and body image. The aim of this study was to assess dissociative experience during childbirth and the possible related variables. Method: A total of 328 women, up to 72 hours postpartum, completed the peritraumatic dissociative experience questionnaire (PDEQ), the socio-demographic and obstetrical questionnaire, the pain numeric rating scale, the Trauma History Questionnaire and an SCID-I for traumatic events. Results: A total of 11.3% of the sample experienced significant dissociation. In particular, symptoms like a sensation of time changes during the event/things seemed to be happening in slow motion, not being aware of things that happened, and disorientation. A traumatic childbirth, previous trauma, obstetrical complications, forceps, prematurity, complications with the baby, dissatisfaction with the maternity care, unemployment, high score pain during labor and years of schooling were the factors considered. Conclusion: Dissociative experiences can occur during childbirth.