Posttraumatische Störungen bei Patienten mit Erkrankungen aus dem schizophrenen Formenkreis

Background The findings of international studies suggest high rates of interpersonal violence and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Only few studies, however, have so far been conducted in the German-speaking countries. Objectives The aim of our study was to determine the prevalence of lifetime experiences of interpersonal violence and comorbid PTSD among inpatients in a German university hospital. Method In N = 145 consecutively admitted patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (67 % male) the structured trauma interview (STI) was used to assess experiences of interpersonal violence and the structured clinical interview for DSM-IV (SCID) to assess comorbid PTSD. Results Sexual violence under the age of 16 years was reported by 17 % of the patients (women 27 %, men 12 %). Approximately one third (32 %) reported physical violence by parental figures (women 38 %, men 29 %). At least one form of early violence (sexual or physical) was reported by half of the women (48 %) and one third of the men (34 %). Negative sexual experiences later in life were reported by 17 %, physical violence by 38 % and at least one of these forms by 48 % of the patients. In total two thirds of all patients (66 %) reported experiences of violence during their lifetime. The prevalence of acute PTSD was 12 %. Another 9 % of patients had a subsyndromal PTSD. Conclusion The present study confirmed the high rates of experiences of interpersonal violence and comorbid PTSD in a German sample of patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Violence and it’s consequences should therefore be routinely assessed and the full spectrum of trauma-specific therapies should be integrated into the treatment of this group of patients.

‘Disability and HIV in Africa: Breaking the barriers to sexual health care’

Three decades in to the HIV pandemic, the issues affecting people with disabilities remains less known. Increasing attention has been given to this overlooked population when it comes to HIV prevention, treatment and care. This is related to the significant unmet sexual and reproductive health care needs facing people with disabilities worldwide. This article discusses the barriers to sexual health for people with disabilities in Africa, and presents an argument about how mainstream HIV prevention work and research does not adequately attend to the sorts of systemic barriers that exclude people with disabilities, which a more targeted, and critical approach could.

Incongruence between clinicians’ assessment and self-reported functioning is related with psychopathology among patients diagnosed with gastrointestinal disorders

In a previous exploratory study we observed no relevant differences in psychopathology, personality, and functioning between inpatients diagnosed with gastrointestinal motor disorders (GMDs) or functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGDs) [1]. However, we observed higher levels of incongruence between clinician-assessed performance status and patients’ self-reported levels of functioning among patients diagnosed with FGDs. Likewise, research in other medical conditions has shown incongruences between self-reported and clinician-reported or objective measures [2]. Furthermore, in a study on chronic depression, the authors found that discrepancies between patients’ and physicians’ assessments of medical comorbidities were related to higher levels of depressive symptomatology [3]. In this line, the aim of this study was to explore whether the inconsistencies between clinician-assessed and patient self-reported levels of functioning could be related to psychopathology among patients admitted for evaluation of gastrointestinal motility.