ICD-11 posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD have been understudied in the older population. The study focused on the associations between traumatic exposure before the pandemic, COVID-19 worries, depression, and loneliness with current PTSD and CPTSD among older adults. A random sample of five hundred and twelve Israeli older adults (Mage = 72.67 ± 3.81, range 68–87) was recruited using a Web-based survey company (Ipanel, Israel). Participants completed questionnaires of demographic details, self-rated health, COVID-19 worries, trauma exposure, depressive symptoms, level of loneliness, PTSD, and CPTSD. Univariate logistic regression revealed that trauma exposure, COVID-19 worries, depression, and loneliness were associated with PTSD. Multinomial regression revealed that only trauma exposure was associated with PTSD among older adults with PTSD compared with those not reaching the PTSD cutoff level. In the comparison between older adults suffering from CPTSD with those not reaching the PTSD cutoff level, being married, higher levels of trauma exposure, COVID-19 worries, depression, and loneliness were associated with a higher risk of CPTSD. Results suggest that specific factors may be significant psychological correlates of CPTSD symptoms among older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Identifying these factors could assist practitioners in tailoring more effective interventions.

Resilience is broadly defined as the ability to adapt successfully following stressful life events. Here, we review functional MRI studies that investigated key psychological factors that have been consistently linked to resilience to severe adversity and trauma exposure. These domains include emotion regulation (including cognitive reappraisal), reward responsivity, and cognitive control. Further, we briefly review functional imaging evidence related to emerging areas of study that may potentially facilitate resilience: namely social cognition, active coping, and successful fear extinction. Finally, we also touch upon ongoing issues in neuroimaging study design that will need to be addressed to enable us to harness insight from such studies to improve treatments for – or, ideally, guard against the development of – debilitating post-traumatic stress syndromes.

This article investigated socio-economic status (SES), traumatic experience and mental health disorders among 103 refugees (52 males and 51 females) living in tropical and subtropical Australia. Specific focus was placed on comparing older refugees’ socio-economic status, traumatic experience and mental health disorders to younger refugees. The results showed that older refugees had lower levels of education, higher unemployment rates and poorer English skills and abilities compared to younger refugees. A greater percentage of older refugees perceived that they had received sufficient support from the broader community over younger refugees. Results also revealed that compared to younger participants, older participants aged over 50 years had significantly higher mean scores in trauma events (trauma exposure, loss event, loss of intrapersonal integrity, loss distress, loss of symbolic self, loss of home and interpersonal loss) and anxiety.

Objective: Several studies have provided prevalence estimates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) related to the September 11, 2001 (9/11) attacks in broadly affected populations, although without sufficiently addressing qualifying exposures required for assessing PTSD and estimating its prevalence. A premise that people throughout the New York City area were exposed to the attacks on the World Trade Center (WTC) towers and are thus at risk for developing PTSD has important implications for both prevalence estimates and service provision. This premise has not, however, been tested with respect to DSM-IV-TR criteria for PTSD. This study examined associations between geographic distance from the 9/11 attacks on the WTC and reported 9/11 trauma exposures, and the role of specific trauma exposures in the development of PTSD.

Methods: Approximately 3 years after the attacks, 379 surviving employees (102 with direct exposures, including 65 in the towers, and 277 with varied exposures) recruited from 8 affected organizations were interviewed using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule/Disaster Supplement and reassessed at 6 years. The estimated closest geographic distance from the WTC towers during the attacks and specific disaster exposures were compared with the development of 9/11–related PTSD as defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Fourth Edition, Text Revision.

Results: The direct exposure zone was largely concentrated within a radius of 0.1 mi and completely contained within 0.75 mi of the towers. PTSD symptom criteria at any time after the disaster were met by 35% of people directly exposed to danger, 20% of those exposed only through witnessed experiences, and 35% of those exposed only through a close associate’s direct exposure. Outside these exposure groups, few possible sources of exposure were evident among the few who were symptomatic, most of whom had preexisting psychiatric illness.

Conclusions: Exposures deserve careful consideration among widely affected populations after large terrorist attacks when conducting clinical assessments, estimating the magnitude of population PTSD burdens, and projecting needs for specific mental health interventions.

(Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2011;5:S205-S213)