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Evaluation ViewAttendees 8

Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders and Disasters
Symposia

Symposium 12 - Breaking Barriers, Bridging Gaps: Addressing Issues with Understanding, Treating, and Accessing Care for PTSD

Friday, November 15, 2024
8:30 AM – 10:00 AM EST
Location: Regency Ballroom B, Second Floor Mezzanine, Loews Hotel
CE: 1.5

Keywords: PTSD (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder), Diagnosis, Treatment
Level of Familiarity: Moderate
Recommended Readings: Marx, B. P., Hall-Clark, B., Friedman, M. J., Holtzheimer, P., & Schnurr, P. P. (2023). The PTSD Criterion A debate: A brief history, current status, and recommendations for moving forward. Journal of Traumatic Stress, n/a(n/a). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.23007,   Harner, H. M., Budescu, M., Gillihan, S. J., Riley, S., & Foa, E. B. (2015). Posttraumatic stress disorder in incarcerated women: A call for evidence-based treatment. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 7(1), 58–66. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0032508,   Eliacin, J., Matthias, M. S., Cunningham, B., & Burgess, D. J. (2020). Veterans’ perceptions of racial bias in VA mental healthcare and their impacts on patient engagement and patient-provider communication. Patient Education and Counseling, 103(9), 1798-1804. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2020.03.017,   Asnaani, A. (2023). What role can (and should) clinical science play in promoting mental health care equity? American Psychologist, 78(9), 1041–1054. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0001217,   Rabasco, A., Arias, S., Benz, M. B., Weinstock, L. M., Miller, I., Boudreaux, E. D., ... & Gaudiano, B. A. (2024). Longitudinal risk of suicide outcomes in people with severe mental illness following an emergency department visit and the effects of suicide prevention treatment. Journal of Affective Disorders, 347, 477-485. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2023.12.019

Inequities in access to mental health services among vulnerable populations (e.g., individuals with minoritized identities, living in under resourced areas, and/or presenting with complex and high-risk symptomatology) are well-documented, pervasive, and systemic. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common disorder among these individuals because of their higher likelihood to experience trauma and discrimination intertwined with the barriers to access evidence-based mental healthcare. Understanding and addressing the challenges faced by minoritized and underrepresented individuals is essential for promoting equity and inclusivity in provision of care for trauma/PTSD. Such research not only advances our understanding of PTSD but also informs the development of tailored interventions and policies aimed at mitigating disparities and improving outcomes for those most in need. This symposium will convene diverse perspectives and innovative approaches to foster dialogue and action towards more equitable and accessible PTSD care for vulnerable populations. To that end, presenters in this symposium will discuss a range of topics focused on addressing issues related to the conceptualization of trauma and treatment for PTSD to reduce inequities in access to care among such populations. In the first presentation, Dr. Tanya Saraiya will describe the results of a critical review that highlights three types of trauma exposure not currently captured in the definition of Criterion A and subsequent assessments in the diagnosis of PTSD: invisible traumas (e.g., psychological violence, violent media exposure), identity-based traumas (e.g., race-based trauma, gender-based trauma, xenophobia), and systemic traumas (e.g., unjust incarceration, intergenerational trauma, and poverty). Each category will be examined in relation to the body of evidence supporting inclusion or lack of inclusion in Criterion A. In the second presentation, Dr. Lily Brown will discuss the results of a case series evaluating the preliminary efficacy of an intervention integrating prolonged exposure therapy for PTSD (PE) with a brief intervention for suicide prevention among individuals with PTSD exhibiting an increased risk for suicide. In the third presentation, Vaughan Hooper will explain findings from a study identifying PTSD treatment preferences for different modalities of care in Veterans identifying as a racial, ethnic, gender, and/or sexual minority as well as the influence of identity-based discrimination on these preferences. In the fourth presentation, Dr. Caitlyn Hood will analyze barriers to trauma-focused treatment among Kentucky women on probation and parole with histories of opioid use and identify potential solutions to such barriers. Finally, Dr. Anu Asnaani will describe results from four training cohorts in the Caribbean of front-line providers (e.g., advocates, school counsellors, nurses) serving the needs of women, children, and LGBTQIA+ trauma survivors. Our discussant, Dr. Sheila Rauch, will critique the findings presented and discuss key avenues for future research to further bridge relevant gaps in our understanding of how to conceptualize and treat trauma/PTSD among vulnerable and underrepresented groups.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this session, the learner will be able to:
  1. Explain the history of the Criterion A debate in PTSD.
  2. Examine what experiences outside of the current Criterion A definition may qualify as traumatic based on extant literature and lived experiences.
  3. Describe how to assess suicide risk in the context of prolonged exposure therapy for PTSD.
  4. Identify examples of trauma-focused treatment barriers experienced by women on probation and parole with histories of opioid use.
  5. Describe the impact of discrimination on PTSD treatment modality preferences among minority Veterans.
  6. Discuss the challenges and solutions to engaging in global trauma training work to improve access to effective care for trauma survivors.
  7. Analyze strategies for creating and sustaining a community-partnered approach to task-shifting training efforts in an underresourced setting.

Presentations:

  • 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM EST
    (SYM 12) Are We Gatekeeping Trauma? A Conceptual Model to Expand Criterion a for Invisible, Identity-based, and Systemic Traumas

    Speaker: Tanya C. Saraiya, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) – Rutgers University

    Co-author: Alexandria Bauer, PhD (she/her/hers) – Rutgers University

    Co-author: Delisa Brown, Ph.D. – Medical University of South Carolina

    Co-author: Amber Jarnecke, Ph.D. – Medical University of South Carolina

    Co-author: Devin Banks, Ph.D. – Washington University in St. Louis

    Co-author: Chantel Ebrahimi, MA – The New School

    Co-author: Donte Bernard, Ph.D. – University of Missouri-Columbia

  • 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM EST
    (SYM 12) Reducing Suicide Risk in Patients with PTSD While Involving a Support Person

    Speaker: Lily Brown, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) – University of Pennsylvania

    Co-author: Marin M. Kautz, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) – Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

    Co-author: Bridget Feler, B.A. – University of Pennsylvania

    Co-author: Ron Acierno, Ph.D., Other – University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

    Co-author: Edna B. Foa, Ph.D. – Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

    Co-author: Ivan Miller, PhD – Brown University

    Co-author: Sally Murphy, LCSW (she/her/hers) – Medical University of South Carolina

    Co-author: Jonna Vaughn, M.A. – Research Clinician

  • 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM EST
    (SYM 12) The Impact of Discrimination on PTSD Treatment Preferences Among Minority Veterans

    Speaker: Vaughan Hooper, M.S. (she/her/hers) – National Center for PTSD

    Co-author: Nadia Malek, B.A. (she/her/hers) – National Center for PTSD

    Co-author: Eve A. Rosenfeld, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) – National Center for PTSD

    Co-author: Casey Straud, PsyD – University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio

    Co-author: Craig Rosen, PhD – National Center for PTSD, Dissemination and Training Division

    Co-author: Carmen McLean, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) – National Center for PTSD

  • 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM EST
    (SYM 12) Trauma Exposure, PTSD Symptoms, and Treatment Barriers Among Women on Probation and Parole with Histories of Opioid Use

    Speaker: Caitlyn O. Hood, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) – University of Kentucky

    Co-author: Abigayle R. Feather, B.S. – University of Kentucky

    Co-author: Emily Fenlon, MS (she/her/hers) – University of Kentucky

    Co-author: Mary Levi, M.S. (she/her/hers) – University of Kentucky

    Co-author: Abbey Loar, n/A (she/her/hers) – University of Kentucky

    Co-author: Ellie Quinkert, BS (she/her/hers) – University of Kentucky

    Co-author: Jesse P. McCann, M.S. (he/him/his) – University of Kentucky

    Co-author: Tanya C. Saraiya, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) – Rutgers University

    Co-author: Jessica Burris, PhD (she/her/hers) – University of Kentucky

    Co-author: Carrie Oser, PhD (she/her/hers) – University of Kentucky

    Co-author: Shannon Sauer-Zavala, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) – University of Kentucky

    Co-author: Michele Staton, PhD (she/her/hers) – University of Kentucky

    Co-author: Christal Badour, Ph.D. – University of Kentucky

  • 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM EST
    (SYM 12) Using Community-partnered and Task-shifting Approaches to Improve Access to Trauma Treatment in the Caribbean: A Multi-cohort Study

    Speaker: Anu Asnaani, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) – University of Utah

    Co-author: Manuel Gutierrez Chavez, M.S. (he/him/his) – The University of Utah

    Co-author: Kiran Kaur, M.S. (she/her/hers) – University of Utah

    Co-author: Brooke Franklin, B.S. – The University of Utah

    Co-author: Su-Anne R. Charlery White, Ph.D., MPH (she/her/hers) – HERStoire Collective