scholarly journals Psychological disturbance associated with sexual abuse in people with learning disabilities

2003 ◽  
Vol 183 (5) ◽  
pp. 451-456 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather Sequeira ◽  
Patricia Howlin ◽  
Shiela Hollins
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Learning Disabilities ◽  
Behavioural Problems ◽  
Controlled Study ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Psychological Disturbance ◽  
Psychological Reactions ◽  
Adults With Learning Disabilities ◽  
History Of ◽  
Post Traumatic

BackgroundThe association between sexual abuse, mental health and behavioural problems in people with learning disabilities has not previously been examined in a controlled study.AimsTo identify symptoms of psychological disturbance in adults with and without a confirmed history of sexual abuse.MethodThe study used a matched (1:1) case–control design comparing 54 adults who had experienced sexual abuse with 54 adults with no reported history of abuse. The two groups were selected from a community population of adults with learning disabilities living in residential care, and compared for selected psychiatric diagnoses and for scores on measures of disturbed behaviour.ResultsSexual abuse was associated with increased rates of mental illness and behavioural problems, and with symptoms of post-traumatic stress. Psychological reactions to abuse were similar to those observed in the general population, but with the addition of stereotypical behaviour. The more serious the abuse, the more severe the symptoms that were reported.ConclusionsThe study provides the first evidence from a controlled study that sexual abuse is associated with a higher incidence of psychiatric and behavioural disorder in people with learning disabilities.

The Dark Cartoon: Intrusive Imagery Secondary to Childhood Sexual Abuse

2012 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 171-175
Author(s):  
Yoshihiro Katsuura ◽  
Vincent Russell
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Childhood Sexual Abuse ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
History Of Childhood ◽  
Aged Woman ◽  
Middle Aged Woman ◽  
History Of ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
Intrusive Imagery ◽  
State Examination

AbstractWe report on the case of a middle-aged woman with a complex psychiatric history in whom atypical intrusive imagery identified in the mental status examination appeared to represent an emergence of childhood dissociative phenomena. These new symptoms led to the reappraisal of her clinical presentation and a diagnostic re-evaluation that they represented a re-emergence of childhood post-traumatic stress disorder secondary to sexual abuse. We discuss the phenomenology identified in our patient with the aim of increasing awareness of unusual symptoms in adults with a history of childhood sexual abuse and the importance of the mental state examination in eliciting and classifying such phenomena.

Post-traumatic Mania Symptoms: About One Case

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. S724-S725
Author(s):  
H. El Kefi ◽  
I. Beldi ◽  
W. Krir ◽  
C. Benchikh Brahim ◽  
S. Eddif ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Terrorist Attack ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Psychological Reactions ◽  
Manic Symptoms ◽  
Induced Mood ◽  
History Of ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
Competing Interest ◽  
Significant Regression

IntroductionPsychotraumatism can constitute for some people a real existential fracture, a real upheaval of the psychic organization.Immediate psychological reactions can vary from one-off and temporary reactions to far more severe and sometimes enduring reactions.Material and methodsWe collected the case of a patient who was hospitalised in April 2015 for manic symptoms in the immediate aftermath of a terrorist attack, with a review of the literature.Clinical caseThis is Mr. A. F., aged 38, with a personal history of AVP and a shooting wound following a terrorist attack. He had presented a psychomotor instability and an exaltation of the mood in the immediate aftermath of an ambush.Behavioural problems were identified by the psychiatric team during the group debriefing conducted at the HMPIT emergency room. During his hospitalisation, a chemotherapy based on thymoregulators, neuroleptics and anxiolytics was introduced.The evolution was marked by a significant regression of the manic syndrome after ten days, and the installation of a post-traumatic stress condition (PTSD). At the end of eight months, the patient was able to resume his work with long-term thymoregulatory treatment, a ban on weapons and safety posts.ConclusionManic episodes are rarely observed as an immediate post-traumatic reaction. Their occurrence does not prevent the subsequent installation of PTSD. Has psychic trauma revealed a latent psychosis? Is it a trauma-induced mood disorder?Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Varenicline for the Treatment of Nightmares and Sleep Disturbance in Patients with Post-traumatic-stress-disorder (PTSD) - Two Case Reports

2009 ◽  
Vol 24 (S1) ◽  
pp. 1-1
Author(s):  
S. Lampen-Imkamp ◽  
W. Dillo
Keyword(s):  
Drug Abuse ◽  
Case Reports ◽  
Controlled Study ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Sleeping Disorders ◽  
Nicotine Abuse ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
Insomnia Patient

Aims:Varenicline is a drug used for smoking withdrawal symptoms. It reduces cravings by binding to alpha4-beta2-nicotine-acethylcholine-receptors of the central nervous system. Side effects are nausea, headache, sleeping disorders. Patients with PTSD complain of depressions, social isolation, insomnia, nightmares and flashbacks. These symptoms often cause a severe drug abuse. We present two patients complaining of sleeping disorders caused by nightmares. These symptoms were significantly reduced under treatment with Varenicline due to a nicotine abuse.Method:Patient A was a woman with a history of sexual abuse in childhood. Besides a drug abuse of benzodiazepines she presented a nicotine addiction. She was increasingly affected by nightmares and insomnia. Patient B was a woman, who grew up in a children's protectory, where she was involved in violence. A PTSD was accompanied by alcohol and benzodiazepine abuse. The PTSD caused episodes of depression with suicidal ideation, nightmares and insomnia.Results:Both patients were treated with Varenicline for smoking cessation. After few days of treatment, they reported improved sleeping behaviours and diminished nightmares.Conclusion:Currently only few studies confirm the effectiveness of alpha1-receptor-agonists (Prazosin) in PTSD-associated nightmares. Our case reports demonstrated the effectiveness of Vareniclin in the treatment of nightmares and sleeping disorders in two patients. The treatment with Vareniclin lead to modified dreaming behaviours with positive, less threatening dreams. Therefore a placebo-controlled study to assess the effectiveness of Vareniclin in the treatment of nightmares is necessary.

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