PTSD

Esketamine PTSD Flashbacks Usually Faded in Treatment-Resistant Depression Case Series

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Esketamine PTSD Flashbacks Usually Faded in Treatment-Resistant Depression Case Series

TL;DR: A 2026 retrospective case series study in European Journal of Psychotraumatology found that trauma flashbacks during esketamine nasal spray sessions were distressing but usually time-limited in 22 patients with treatment-resistant depression and PTSD; when treatment continued, depression response was 45.5% and PTSD improvement was 45.5%. Key Findings 22-patient case series: Researchers reviewed adults with …

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Adolescent Trauma Disrupted Parent-Cued Fear Extinction in fMRI Study

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Adolescent Trauma Disrupted Parent-Cued Fear Extinction in fMRI Study

TL;DR: A 2026 study in Biological Psychiatry: Global Open Science found that trauma-exposed adolescents, especially those with higher posttraumatic stress symptoms, showed disrupted parent-cued fear extinction across skin-conductance, behavioral-learning, and functional MRI (fMRI) measures. Key Findings 87 dyads entered the extinction task: The analysis included typically developing adolescents and trauma-exposed adolescents with lower or higher …

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Refugee PTSD Trial Found No Overall STAIR-R Advantage Before NET

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Refugee PTSD Trial Found No Overall STAIR-R Advantage Before NET

TL;DR: A 2026 randomized pilot trial in European Journal of Psychotraumatology found no overall PTSD advantage when refugee-focused emotion-regulation skills training was added before narrative exposure therapy, but refugees living with high visa or family insecurity showed preliminary self-report gains from the skills-first approach. Key Findings 71 adult refugees were randomized: Participants met DSM-5 criteria …

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Community Resiliency Model Training Improved Compassion in Rwanda

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Community Resiliency Model Training Improved Compassion in Rwanda

TL;DR: A 2026 study in European Journal of Psychotraumatology found that 3 days of Community Resiliency Model (CRM) training, a body-based trauma-regulation skills program, improved compassion, social cohesion, forgiveness, and resilience among 152 Rwandan genocide survivors, released perpetrators, and mixed survivor-perpetrator groups. Key Findings Three groups completed CRM training: Researchers studied 51 genocide survivors, 51 …

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Trauma Cues Increased Substance Craving via Negative Affect in Meta-Analysis

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Trauma Cues Increased Substance Craving via Negative Affect in Meta-Analysis

TL;DR: A 2026 meta-analysis in European Journal of Psychotraumatology found that trauma cues increased substance craving in trauma-exposed people who use substances, and the strongest pathway ran through cue-triggered negative affect. Key Findings 32 studies: Researchers synthesized trauma cue-reactivity studies from 21 unique datasets. Craving increased with trauma cues: Trauma reminders produced higher craving than …

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Counterconditioning Strengthened Safety Memory Signals in PTSD

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Counterconditioning Strengthened Safety Memory Signals in PTSD

TL;DR: A 2026 functional MRI (fMRI) study in Translational Psychiatry found that counterconditioning, a form of exposure learning that replaces a threat cue with a positive outcome, strengthened safety-memory signals in adults with PTSD more than standard extinction did. Key Findings Safety learning was tested: Researchers studied 54 adults, including 32 with post-traumatic stress disorder …

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Suicidal Ideation Was the Central Symptom Hub for Palestinian Refugees in Egypt; Secondary Hubs Differed by Sex

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Suicidal Ideation Was the Central Symptom Hub for Palestinian Refugees in Egypt; Secondary Hubs Differed by Sex

TL;DR: A 2026 cross-sectional study in Psychiatry Research surveyed 558 Palestinian refugees displaced to Egypt after the 2023 Gaza war and used Bayesian network analysis to map their psychological symptoms; suicidal ideation emerged as the central hub for both men and women, with secondary core symptoms differing by gender (loss of energy in men, psychomotor …

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Hippocampus Encoded Trauma Memory Meaning in PTSD

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Hippocampus Encoded Trauma Memory Meaning in PTSD

TL;DR: A 2026 PTSD neuroimaging and language-analysis study in Neuropsychopharmacology found that hippocampal activity encoded specific semantic content of traumatic and neutral autobiographical memories, while greater hippocampal sensitivity to autobiographical semantic content related to higher PTSD symptom severity. Key Findings Study type: a study combining natural-language semantic quantification with brain activity during traumatic and neutral …

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COPE-A Reduced Youth PTSD Symptoms, But Substance Use Did Not Drop More Than Counseling

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COPE-A Reduced Youth PTSD Symptoms, But Substance Use Did Not Drop More Than Counseling

TL;DR: A 2026 randomized trial analysis in European Journal of Psychotraumatology found that COPE-A, an integrated exposure-based therapy for youth with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorder (SUD), reduced PTSD symptoms more than supportive counseling, but substance-use reductions were not significantly stronger than counseling. Key Findings 49 treated participants were analyzed: Youth aged …

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Childhood Violence Was Linked to Mental Health Problems at Age 8

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Childhood Violence Was Linked to Mental Health Problems at Age 8

TL;DR: A 2026 preprint birth-cohort study in medRxiv found that 91.1% of children had experienced violence by age 8, while age-8 violence exposure was associated with higher internalizing, externalizing, total problem scores, and disorder odds. Key Findings Evidence map: a South African birth-cohort analysis using violence reports and child mental health assessment. Study group: 974 …

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