The Impact of Bombing Attacks on Civilians in Iraq

Research on the effects of experiencing a bomb attack has yielded considerable literature on related mental health matters. However, there is a paucity of studies looking at the psychological consequences and mental health effects following bombing attacks specifically in relation to civilians in Iraq. This qualitative study involving 11 adults (M = 6, F = 5) aimed to investigate how people who had experienced a potentially trauma inducing event of being in a bomb attack made sense of the experience and attempted to cope with it. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and transcripts analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA; Smith and Osborn 2003). Four overarching themes emerged: 1) mental and physical health problems, 2) interpersonal relationship issues, 3) changes in attachment, and 4) attempts to cope. Participants revealed that exposure to a bomb attack had a major effect on their psychological well-being and also fragmented their personal relationships. Nevertheless, a variety of coping strategies were identified. The study adds to an understanding of how psychological difficulties continue and affect recovery. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York

In the shadow of terror: Posttraumatic stress and psychiatric co-morbidity following bombing in Iraq: The role of shattered world assumptions and altered self-capacities

Whilst research has looked at posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and psychiatric co-morbidity among civilians exposed to bombing, there is a lack of longitudinal data on the development of these outcomes and the psychological factors associated with them, particularly among Iraqi civilians. This study aimed to: investigate 1) the trajectory of PTSD and psychiatric co-morbidity following bombing among civilians in Iraq and 2) the link between shattered world assumptions, altered self-capacities and identified health outcomes. One hundred and eighty (F=90, M=90) Iraqi civilians exposed to first time bombing were recruited approximately one month (time 1) after the bombing and five months (time 2) after the baseline assessment. A control group data (178, F=91, M=87) from people who were not exposed to bombing was also collected. They completed the Posttraumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale, the General Health Questionnaire-28, the World Assumptions Questionnaire and the Inventory of Altered Self-Capacities. The results showed that there was a significant decline in the proportion of people meeting the screening criteria for PTSD and psychiatric co-morbidity symptoms over time. For the cross-sectional analysis, controlling for demographic variables, regression analysis showed that severity of the bombing (β=.16), controllability of events (β=-.21), safety and vulnerability (β=.31) and affect dysregulation (β=.37) significantly predicted PTSD time 1. Controllability of events (β=-.20) and affect dysregulation (β=.37) also predicted psychiatric co-morbidity at time 1. For the prospective analysis, controlling for PTSD and psychiatric co-morbidity at time 1, none of these dimensions predicted PTSD and psychiatric co-morbidity at time 2. Findings are discussed in terms of individual resilience. It can be concluded that following bombing, civilians developed PTSD and psychiatric co-morbidity which declined over time. Civilians\u27 perceptions of their ability to control events in the world and regulate their affect had a short term impact on the severity of these symptoms. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd

An Exploration of PTSD and Coping Strategies: Response to the Experience of Being in a Bomb Attack in Iraq

Although existing evidence suggests that bombing attacks leave behind psychological distress and poorer mental health, little research has focused on this topic in Iraq. This study aimed to explore how people who have experienced a bomb attack in Iraq make sense of their experience and identify the ways in which they attempt to cope with this event. A qualitative approach was taken. Nine adults (male = 4, female = 5) who experienced a bomb attack for the first time were recruited for the study. Semistructured interviews were conducted. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, and data were analyzed thematically using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Participants\u27 accounts revealed that exposure to bomb attack has a significant effect on core beliefs of the self; traumatic states, such as anxiety and preoccupation with death and a permanent sense of threat; and a negative effect on interpersonal relationships and personal interest. However, participants also demonstrated a variety of coping strategies, both in relation to the bomb attack itself and other life circumstances, which preceded or coincided with the bomb attack. The findings illustrate key aspects of the experience, coping process, and highlight issues to consider for those caring for people who are suffering from this traumatic experience. This study adds to our understanding of how psychological difficulties may continue and affect recovery. © The Author(s) 2012

El apego y la depresión adolescente: el impacto de las primeras experiencias de apego

Bowlby’s (1969/1982) ideas of attachment as an interactional system provide the basis for an understanding of the development of adaptive and maladaptive working models of the self and other. More specifically, attachment theory can offer an in-depth understanding into the development of a depressotypic self-schema. Attachment theory is set alongside research into adolescent depression in order to illustrate the importance of the primary attachment relationship in protecting adolescents in our society from developing depressive symptomatology. Therefore, current research in adolescent depression is viewed through the lens of attachment theory. This view is complemented by an exploration of the role of culture in the production of gender differences in depression. Thus, a tripartite model of adolescent depression, including the individual, family relationships, and sociocultural factors is offered as being of potential value for clinicians and researchers in this area.Las ideas de Bowlby (1969/1982) sobre el apego como un sistema interactivo nos proporcionan la base para entender el desarrollo de los modelos de funcionamiento adaptativos y desadaptativos del yo y el otro. Más concretamente, la teoría del apego puede ofrecernos una comprensión detallada del desarrollo de un autoesquema depresógeno. La teoría del apego se sitúa junto a la investigación sobre la depresión adolescente, para ilustrar la importancia de la relación de apego primaria a la hora de proteger a los adolescentes en nuestra sociedad contra el desarrollo de sintomatología depresiva. Así, se considera la investigación actual sobre la depresión adolescente a través de la lente de la teoría del apego. Dicha visión se complementa con una exploración sobre el papel de la cultura en la producción de las diferencias de género en la depresión. Así, se ofrece un modelo tripartito de la depresión adolescente, que incluye el individuo, las relaciones familiares y los factores socioculturales, y que puede presentar un valor potencial para los profesionales de la salud e investigadores en esta área. &nbsp