PSY 315: Psychological Trauma

Fall 2003

 

Instructor:                  Lizabeth Roemer, Ph.D.

                                    M-4-215, phone 287-6358; fax 287-6336

                                    e-mail:  Lizabeth.Roemer@umb.edu

Office Hours:             M 12-2 W 12-1

 

Course Objectives: This course is designed to provide students with information on the psychological sequelae associated with exposure to potentially traumatizing events.  The first half of the course will focus on the definition of traumatic and stressful events, common responses to these events, and models for conceptualizing responses to traumatic experiences.  The second half of the course will focus on risk and protective factors associated with post-traumatic adjustment, specific types of traumatic events, areas of controversy within the field and an overview of treatment issues.

 

Format of Course: This course will consist primarily of lectures and class discussion.  Video presentations may also be included.  It is expected that students will have read all assigned reading materials prior to each class so that they are prepared to actively participate in discussion.

 

Required Text and Assigned Readings: There are two required texts (Herman, J.L. (1997) Trauma and recovery & Resick (2001) Stress and Trauma); available at the bookstore) and a coursepack for this course.

 

Course Requirements:

 

Attendance at lectures.  Students are expected to attend every class and attendance will be taken.  Class discussions will provide the context for integrating and understanding the readings; attendance is essential in order to learn the material.  Exams will be based largely on class material. Tardiness will also be noted, and repeated absences or tardiness will lower final grades.

 

Participation. Class participation will not be assigned a point value toward a final grade.  Your class participation will be used at the discretion of the course instructor to adjust grades upward only for students who fall on the borderline between two grades.

 

Exams.  There will be a midterm and a final examination that will cover all material from the readings, lectures and discussions. Exams will consist of essays. Questions will be distributed prior to the exam and material will be reviewed in class.

 

NOTE:  If you miss an exam due to illness or other university excused absence, you MUST leave me a message PRIOR TO original exam.  You may be required to provide documentation for this absence (e.g., a note from the doctor).  Failure to contact me, or to provide documentation for the absence if requested will result in a grade of “0” for the exam.  Make-up exams may differ in form and content.

Notes on assigned readings.  There is a great deal of reading in this class; keeping up with the reading is essential.  Students are responsible for all material in the assigned readings.  In the past, I have required notes on all readings in order to help students keep up with the reading. However, based on student feedback, I have decided to drop this requirement. That means that the responsibility for keeping up with the reading falls solely on student’s shoulders.  I would recommend keeping your own notes because you will need to retain information from the readings for the final exam. In addition, I encourage all of you to email me any questions or comments on the readings by the night before they are due and I will be sure to address them in class.

 

Paper:  By Dec 15th, you will be asked to write a 10 page (double-spaced) paper on a topic of your choice in the field of traumatic stress. Further details of the paper assignment will follow. The first step in this process will be a class exercise in which each of you summarize and critique two articles from your packet, bring that critique into class on Sept 19th, and we spend time in class reviewing these summaries. Then you will each submit a brief proposal of what you plan to write about and how you plan to identify sources for this paper. This one-page proposal is due Sept 26th. Failure to submit it will result in 5 points deducted from your final paper grade; 1 point will be deducted from your final paper grade for each day the proposal is late. I will review this proposal and provide suggestions and guidance. Next you will prepare an annotated bibliography (full references with brief summaries of articles – DO NOT just copy abstracts from PsychInfo or another search engine) of 5 main sources you plan to use. This is due Oct 27th. Again, 5 points will be deducted from your final paper grade if you fail to turn it in and 1 point will be deducted from your final paper grade for each day the bibliography is late. In addition, you will be asked to rewrite the bibliography if your article summaries are not clear and will have one week to do so without any point deduction. Copying abstracts directly from articles is a form of plagiarism and will result in a failing grade for this part of the assignment (and thus 5 points deducted from your final paper grade). Plagiarism of any sort on the final paper will result in a failing grade for the paper and possibly the class. If you have any question about what constitutes plagiarism, come see me. The final paper will be due Dec 15th. 5 points will be deducted from the final paper grade for each day it is late (including nonclass days). Any paper submitted after 5pm on Dec 20th will receive an automatic F and will not be read (There will be no penalty for turning any assignment in early however – so you might want to aim for completing each part in advance, in case something unexpected delays you). Papers that are never turned in will receive a 0, which will hurt your grade substantially more than an F. I will review and comment on any rough drafts that are submitted on or before Nov 20th, and will meet with students up until the paper deadline to discuss papers.  It is in your best interest to have me read a draft of your paper before the final version, so work on this early and submit a draft.

 

Grading: Each exam will constitute 33% of your final grade. The final paper grade will contribute the final 34%.

 

Office hours: Students are encouraged to attend office hours or call and make an appointment for alternate times if any additional help is needed in comprehending and mastering the course material. The instructor is available to assist in understanding the book, lecture material, mistakes made on a previous exam, or to problem-solve any difficulties arising in the course. Any other advising questions are also welcome (course choices, career planning, etc.).

 

Note on course content: This course focuses on experiences that are extremely distressing, which are likely to have affected class participants either directly or indirectly. It is important that we discuss these issues with respect and consideration for those around us.  If at any point, you find yourself feeling overwhelmed or extremely distressed, please come see me and I will be happy to provide referrals and other resources, and also to help you make arrangements to complete coursework given the responses you are having. If you need to leave during a class period, you may. Please just come see me later so we can work out an arrangement to make up what you’ve missed.

 

If at any point a student is having difficulty completing assignments or attending class, it is strongly recommended that he or she meet with the instructor immediately to discuss the situation.  Often difficulties can be solved in advance but by the end of the semester less can be done to overcome the problem.

 

CLASS POLICIES:

1. In accordance with Section 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 the University of Massachusetts Boston attempts to accommodate all students with certified "special needs". Through the Lillian Semper Ross Center for Disability Services various aids such as sign language interpreting, readers, testing accommodations, counseling, etc. are available to students. If you believe that you have such special needs you should contact the Center on the first floor of the McCormack Building (287-7430) as soon as possible.

2. You may note in the class syllabus certain topics that may in some cases cause severe discomfort or other strong emotional reactions from some students. If you believe that in- class discussion of such material might be more than you can handle please see me right away so that we can determine whether you should remain in this course.

3. It is assumed that in this class each student and I will act in a professional and honest manner. Therefore, any student who engages in an act of Academic Dishonesty, plagiarizing a paper (copying from any source without quotes and referencing is plagiarizing, as is taking an idea from a source without referencing it), cheating on an exam, etc., will receive a failing grade for that assignment/test and in most cases a failing grade for the course. Please review the sections on Academic Standards, Cheating, and Plagiarism (pg. 44, 45), sections II and IV, and V of the Code of Student Conduct (pg. 48-52) in the University Undergraduate Catalog 2000-2001. If you still have questions about Academic Honesty or expectations in this course see me well prior to the due date of the assignment.

 

 

Schedule of topics and readings:

 

Topics                                                                                                                        Dates

Introduction                                                                                                               Sept 3

 

History of field of traumatic stress; definition of trauma                                          Sept 5, 8

Herman Chapter 1

Resick Chapter 1

 

Dimensions of traumatic exposure/PTSD                                                                  Sept 10, 12, 15

Herman Chapter 2

Resick Chapter 2

Green, Wilson, & Lindy

            Roemer, Orsillo, Borkovec & Litz

 

Other psychological sequelae of trauma:                                                                   Sept  17, 19

           Herman chapters 3 & 6

Weine et al. (summary and critique due Sept 19th; also prepare summary and critique of Roemer et al for the 19th)                     

                 

Schema models:                                                                                                       Sept 22, 24, 26

            Resick Chapter 3

Janoff-Bulman

McCann, Sakheim, & Abrahamson

 

Cognitive-behavioral models:                                                                                 Sept 29, Oct 1, 3

            Revisit Resick Ch 3

Foa, Zinbarg & Rothbaum

Foa & Riggs                           

 

Biological models:                                                                                                       October 6, 8

            Ledoux

Resick Ch 4

 

Cultural/social considerations                                                                                    October 10, 15

            Marsella, Friedman, & Spain                                                                (the 13th is a holiday)

Jenkins

 

Review for midterm                                                                                                    Oct 17

 

MIDTERM                                                                                                                Oct 20

 

 

 

General Risk and Resiliency Factors                                                                          Oct 22, 24, 27

            Resick Chapters 5 & 6                                                                        

            Brewin, Andrews, & Valentine

 

Military trauma:                                                                                                         Oct 29, 31

            O’Brien

Weathers, Litz, & Keane, Litz

            Litz

 

Rape                                                                                                                            Nov 3, 5

            Warshaw Chapters 1 & 5

Lebowitz & Roth

Lefley; Scott, Llabre & Hicks

 

Domestic Violence                                                                                                      Nov 7

Herman Chapter 4

Krane

 

Disasters, Emergency workers, Community trauma, early intervention                Nov 10, 12, 14

            Green & Solomon

Litz, Gray, Bryant & Adler

North et al.

Schuster et al.

                Galea et al.

            Frederickson et al.

 

Refugee trauma                                                                                                       Nov 17

            Boehnlein & Kinzie

 

Childhood trauma:                                                                                                Nov 19, 24, 26

            Excerpts from Bass & Thornton                                                                        class cancelled

Herman Chapter 5                                                                                           Nov 21, 28

            Finklehor & Browne    

Lisak

 

Repressed v. false memory:                                                                                   Dec 1, 3

            Terr

Loftus & Ketchum

 

Treatment:                                                                                                        Dec 5, 8, 10

Herman Chapters 9 & 10

Resick Chapter 7

                                                                                          

Summary, review for final                                                                              Dec 12

Final                                                                                                                Finals week

Reading List

Bass, E. & Thornton, L. (1983). I never told anyone (pp. 63-85; 120-135). New York: Harper and Row.

Boehnlein, J.K., & Kinzie, J.D. (1995). Refugee trauma. Transcultural Psychiatric Research Review, 32, 223 – 251.

Brewin, C.,R., Andrews, B., & Valentine, J. D. (2000). Meta-analysis of risk factors for post-traumatic stress disorder in trauma-exposed adults. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology,68, 748-766.

Finklehor, D. & Browne, A. (1985). The traumatic impact of child sexual abuse: A conceptualization. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 55(4), 530-541.

            Foa, E. & Riggs, D. (1994). Posttraumatic stress disorder and rape. In R.S. Pynoos (Ed.), Posttraumatic stress disorder: A clinical review (pp. 133-163). Lutherville, MD: Sidran Press.

            Foa, E,B., Zinbarg, R., & Rothbaum, B.O. (1992).  Uncontrollability and unpredictability in post-traumatic stress disorder: An animal model.  Psychological Bulletin, 112, 218-238.

            Frederickson, B.L., Tugade, M.M., Waugh, C. E., & Larkin, G.R. (2003). What good are positive emotions in crises? A prospective study of resilience and emotions following the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84, 365-376.

            Galea, S., Ahern, J., Resnick, H., Kilpatrick, D., Bucuvalas, M., Gold, J., & Vlahov, D. (2002). Psychological sequalae of the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York City. New England Journal of Medicine, 346, 982-987.

            Green, B.L., & Solomon, S.D. (1995). The mental health impact of natural and technological disasters. In J.R. Freedy, S.E. Hobfoll, et-al. (Ed) Traumatic stress: From theory to practice. Plenum series on stress and coping. (pp. 163-180). New York: Plenum Press.

            Green, B., Wilson, J. & Lindy, J. (1985). Conceptualizing PTSD: A psychosocial framework. In C.R. Figley (ed.), Trauma and its wake: The study and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (pp. 53-69). New York: Brunner/Mazel.

            Herman, J. (1992). Trauma and recovery. New York: Basic Books.

            Janoff-Bulman, R. (1985). The aftermath of victimization: Rebuilding shattered assumptions. In C.R. Figley (ed.), Trauma and its wake: The study and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (pp. 15-35). New York: Brunner/Mazel.

            Jenkins, J.  (1996). Culture, emotion and PTSD. In Marsella et al. (Eds) Ethnocultural Aspects of PTSD: Issues, research and clinical applications. Washington DC: APA.

            Krane, J. E. (1996). Violence against women in intimate relations: Insights from cross-cultural analysis. Transcultural psychiatric research reciew, 33, 435-465

Lebowitz, L. & Roth, S. (1994). “I felt like a slut”: The cultural context and women’s response to being raped. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 7, 363-390.

            LeDoux, J. (1998). The emotional brain. (pp 138-224). New York: Simon and Schuster.

            Lefley, H. P., Scott, C. S., Llabre, M., Hicks, D. (1993). Cultural beliefs about rape and victims’ response in three ethnic groups. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 63, 623-632.

            Lisak, D. (1994). The psychological impact of sexual abuse: Content analysis of interviews with male survivors. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 7, 525-548.

            Litz, B. T. (1996). The psychological demands of peacekeeping for military personnel. National Center for PTSD Clinical Quarterly, 6, 1-8.

            Litz, B. T., Gray, M. J., Bryant, R. A., & Adler, A. B. (2002). Early intervention for trauma: Current status and future directions. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 9, 112-134.

            Loftus, E. & Ketcham, K. (1994). The myth of repressed memory (Ch. 6, 7). NY: St. Martin’s Press.

Marsella, A.J., Friedman, M.J., & Spain, E.H. (1996) Ethnocultural aspects of PTSD: An overview of issues and research directions. In Marsella et al. (Eds) Ethnocultural Aspects of PTSD: Issues, research and clinical applications. Washington DC: APA.

            McCann, I., Sakheim, D. & Abrahamson, D. (1988). Trauma and victimization: A model of psychological adaptation. The Counseling Psychologist, 16, 531-594 (only page 557 on required reading).

            O’Brien, T. (1990). The things they carried (pp. 3-25). Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

            North, C. S., Nixon, S. J., Shariat, S., Mallonnee, S., McMillen, J. C., Spitznagel, E. L., Smith, E. M. (2000). Psychiatric disorders among survivors of the Oklahoma City bombing. Journal of the American Medical Association, 282,755-762.

            Resick, P. A. (2001). Stress and Trauma. New York: Brunner/Mazel.

            Roemer, L., Orsillo, S.M., Borkovec, T.D., & Litz, B.T. (1998). Emotional response at the time of a potentially traumatizing event and PTSD symptomatology: A preliminary retrospective analysis of the DSM-IV Criterion A-2. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 29, 123-130.

Schuster, M. A., Stein, B. D.,  Jaycox, L. H, Collins, R. L., Marshall, G. N., Elliott, M. N., Zhou, A. J., Kanouse, D. E., Morrison, J. L., & Berry, S. H. (2001).  A National Survey of Stress Reactions after the September 11, 2001, Terrorist Attacks. New England Journal of Medicine, 345, 1507-1512.

            Terr, L. (1994). Unchained memories (Ch. 1, 2). New York: Basic Books.

            Warshaw, R. (1988). I never called it rape (Ch. 1, 5). New York: Harper and Row.

            Weathers, F., Litz, B. & Keane, T. (1995). Military trauma. In J.F. Freedy and S.E. Hobfoll (Eds.), Traumatic stress: From theory to practice (pp. 103-128).  New York: Plenum. 

            Weine, S.M., Becker, D.F., Vojvoda, D., Hodzic, E., Sawyer, M., Hyman, L., Laub, D., & McGlashen, (1998). Individual change after genocide in Bosnian Survivors of “Ethnic Cleansing”: Assessing Personality Dysfunction. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 11, 147-154.