| Bielefeld University > Abteilung für Psychologie > Arbeitseinheiten > Klinische Psychologie und Psychotherapie (AE 11) |
The prevalence of psychiatric disorders in patients with epilepsies is much higher compared to the normal population. However, little is known about the relationship between psychopathology and epilepsy-specific factors, such as type, severity, onset and duration of epilepsy and underlying brain pathology. Previous research mainly focussed on affective and anxiety disorders in epilepsy patients. To date, the frequency of traumatisation and posttraumatic stress disorders was rarely studied in patients with epileptic seizures, especially in respect to the traumatic impact of some seizures themselves. The role of traumatisation was rather discussed in the context of the development and perpetuation of non-epileptic psychogenic seizures. In this project, we investigate the frequency and type of psychiatric comorbidities and traumatisation in patients with different epilepsy syndromes and in patients with non-epileptic psychogenic seizures treated as in-patients in Mara Hospital, Epilepsy Center Bethel.
Project collaborators:
Dr. Kirsten Labudda, Dipl.-Psych. Dominik Illies, Cand.-Psych. Cornelia Herzig, Cand.-Psych. Katharina Schröder in cooperation with Dr. Martin Schöndienst and Dr. Christian Brandt, Mara Hospital.
In contrast to other forms of violence and psychological traumatization, most survivors of organized violence have encountered not only one single stressful event, but rather a whole series of traumatic events occurring over an extended period of time. Such experiences can cause serious psychological and somatic distress and interfere with a healthy development of children. Thus, in addition to suffering from medical conditions, a substantial proportion of survivors of war and torture suffer from chronic psychological disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depression, both of which can persist for long periods of time or even, on occasion, develop in the years or decades following persecution. Furthermore, high rates of psychological disorders may contribute to the translation of war violence into family violence, thus contributing to a vicious circle of violence across generations.
This project line builds on previous work in refugee settlements as well as conflict areas in Uganda, Rwanda, Somalia, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan. It pursues the following goals:
Epidemiology of the social and psychological consequences of organized violence
The aim is to develop reliable and valid strategies for the assessment of trauma cosequences on individual, family and community level across different cultures. In addition to stress reactions, potential predictors and mediators of stress reactions (i.e. traumatic events, poverty, family violence, social loss, collective identity, etc.) should be assessed to analyze the relationship between organized violence and stress rections as well as organized violence and familiy/community violence.Development and evaluation of intervention strategies
The development and successful evaluation of pragmatic treatment strategies such as Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) by our working group has been considered as one of the milestones of mental health intervention research in conflict areas. Using randomized controlled trials, NET has been evaluated with child and adult war victims in Uganda, Rwanda, Sri Lanka and other countries.A next step of intervention research will be the development of interventions beyond the individual level. In particular, methods to prevent the translation of war violence into family and community violence will be developed an evaluated.
Currently a focus of research is on interventions with formerly abducted child soldiers in Northern Uganda
Contact persons: Verena Ertl, Dr. Claudia Catani
For more information about clinical field research and interventions in countries affected by war and conflicts, please visit the website of vivo foundation.
Recent Publications
Catani,C., Gewirtz, A., Wieling, L., Schauer, E., Elbert, T., & Neuner, F.(2010). Tsunami, war, and cumulative risk in the life of Sri Lankan school children , Child Development , 81(4), 1176-91.
Ertl, V., Pfeiffer, A., Saile, R., Schauer, E., Elbert, T., & Neuner, F.(2010). Validation of a mental health assessment in an African conflict population , Psychological Assessment , 22(2), 318-24.
Neuner, F. (2010). Assisting war-torn populations - Should we prioritize reducing daily stressors to improve mental health? Comment on Miller and Rasmussen (2010) ,Soc Sci Med, Epub ahead of print.
Catani, C. , Kohiladevy, M., Ruf, M., Schauer, E., Elbert, T. & Neuner, F. (2009). Treating children traumatized by war and Tsunami: A comparison between exposure therapy and meditation-relaxation in North-East Sri Lanka , BMC Psychiatry, 9:22.
Catani, C., Schauer, E., Elbert, T., Missmahl, I., Bette, J.P. & Neuner, F. (2009) War trauma, child labour, and family violence: Life adversities and PTSD in a sample of school children in
Neuner, F., Onyut, P., Ertl. V., Schauer, E., Odenwald, M. & Elbert, T. (2008) Treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder by trained lay counsellors in an African refugee settlement - a randomized controlled trial . Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 76, 686-694.
The aim of this project line is to determine the relationship between stressful life events, including child abuse and neglect, and mental disorders. Cross-sectional and longitudinal epidemiolgical studies are used to examine prevalence rates of maltreatment and violence within groups of normal adolescents and young adults as well as in various patient groups. The investigation of potential moderators at the level of neurobiology, self report, and behavior observation aims at the development of a neurocognitive model of the mechanisms that relate stress and pathology. The long-term goal is to develop a trans-diagnostical treatment modul for stress-related mental disorders.
Related ongoing research project at the outpatient clinic of the University of Bielefeld
Recent Publications
