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BackgroundCurrent knowledge is limited regarding patient characteristics related to treatment outcome of posttraumatic stress disorders (PTSD) in refugees and asylum seekers.ObjectiveGender, torture status, offender status, level of anger, and level of depression were investigated for possible effects on the treatment outcome.MethodPatient characteristics were explored in 54 refugees and asylum seekers who had completed a treatment program for PTSD. Non-responders (10), those who had the same or higher levels of symptom severity after treatment, were compared with responders, those who had lower symptom severity after treatment (44). Symptom severity was measured by Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale. The non-responders and responders constituted the dichotomous, dependent variable. The independent variables were gender, torture status, offender status, level of anger, and level of depression. T-tests and Exact Unconditional Homogeneity/Independence Tests for 2×2 Tables were used to study the relationship to treatment outcome.ResultsBeing male and reporting to have been a violent offender were significantly more frequent characteristics among the non-responders compared to the responders. The levels of pretreatment anger, depression and torture status did not affect the treatment outcome.ConclusionsThe study adds support to findings that females benefit more from treatment of PTSD than males and that violent offenders are difficult to treat within the standard treatment programs.

Both genetic and environmental factors contribute to individual differences in aggression. Catechol-Omethyltransferase Val158Met (COMT), a common, functional polymorphism, has been implicated in aggression and aggression traits, as have childhood experiences of adversity. It is unknown whether these effects are additive or interactional and, in the case of interaction, whether they conform to a diathesis-stress or differential susceptibility model. We examined Gene ϫ Environment interactions between COMT and serious life events on measures of childhood aggression and contrasted these 2 models. The sample was composed of community children (N ϭ 704); 355 were boys, and the mean age was 54.8 months (SD ϭ 3.0). The children were genotyped for COMT rs4680 and assessed for serious life events and by teacher-rated aggression. Regression analysis showed no main effects of COMT and serious life events on aggression. However, a significant interactive effect of childhood serious life events and COMT genotype was observed: Children who had faced many serious life events and were Val homozygotes exhibited more aggression (p ϭ .02) than did their Met-carrying counterparts. Notably, in the absence of serious life events, Val homozygotes displayed significantly lower aggression scores than did Met carriers (p ϭ .03). When tested, this constellation of findings conformed to the differential susceptibility hypothesis: In this case, Val homozygotes are more malleable to the effect of serious life events on aggression and not simply more vulnerable to the negative effect of having experienced many serious life events.

Children with histories of disorganized attachment exhibit diverse problems, possibly because disorganization takes at least two distinctive forms as children age: controlling-punitive and controlling-caregiving. This variation in the developmental legacy of disorganization has been attributed primarily to variations in children's rearing experiences. Here an alternative explanation of these divergent sequelae of disorganization is evaluated: one focused on genotype. Structural equation modeling was applied to data on 704 Norwegian children to test whether the catechol-O-methyltransferase Val158Met genotype moderates the effect of disorganized attachment, which was measured dimensionally at 4 years of age using the Manchester Child Attachment Story Task, on changes in aggressive behavior and social competence from ages 4 to 6. Children who scored high on disorganization and were homozygous for the valine allele displayed significantly greater increases in aggression and decreases in self-oriented social skills (e.g., self-regulation and assertiveness) over time than did their disorganized counterparts carrying the methionine allele, whereas disorganized children carrying the methionine allele increased their other-oriented social skill (e.g., cooperation and responsibility) scores more than did valine-homozygous children. These results are consistent with the controlling-punitive and controlling-caregiving behaviors observed in disorganized children, suggesting that the children's genotype contributed to variations in the social development of disorganized children.

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ObjectivesAn increasing part of the population is affected by disordered eating (DE) even though they do not meet the full eating disorder (ED) criteria. To improve treatment in the range of weight-related disorders, there is a need to improve our knowledge about DE and relevant correlates of weight problems such as underweight, overweight and obesity. However, studies investigating DE and weight problems in a wide range of ages in the general population have been lacking. This paper explores DE, weight problems, dieting and weight dissatisfaction among women in a general population sample.DesignCross-sectional study.SettingThe third survey of the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT3).ParticipantsThe population included 27 252 women, aged 19–99 years, with information on DE outcomes and covariates.OutcomesDE was assessed with an 8-item version of the Eating Attitude Test and the Eating Disorder Scale-5. Body mass index (BMI) was objectively measured. Data on dieting and weight dissatisfaction were collected from self-reported questionnaires and analysed across weight categories. Crude and adjusted logistic and multinomial logistic regression models were used.ResultsHigh rates of overweight (38%) and obesity (23%) were found. DE was associated with weight problems. In women aged <30 years, 11.8% (95% CI 10.3 to 13.1) reported DE, and 12% (95% CI 11.5 to 12.6) reported DE in women aged >30 years. In those of younger ages (19–29 years), lower weight predicted DE, while increasing weight predicted DE in older aged women (30–99 years). The majority of women were dissatisfied with their weight (58.8%), and 54.1% of the women reported dieting. Neither BMI status nor age was associated with dieting or weight dissatisfaction.ConclusionsA high prevalence of DE was observed, and findings suggest that weight problems and DE are not distinct from one another. Dieting was associated with women's weight dissatisfaction, rather than with actual weight. This requires further investigations about directionality of effects.

interval training in standard treatment of out-patients with schizophrenia: a randomized controlled trial Objective: To evaluate the feasibility and effects of integrating aerobic interval training (AIT) in standard care of out-patients with schizophrenia on aerobic capacity and conventional cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. Methods: Out-patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorder were randomized to the following: 1) a training group (TG), performing AIT 2 day/week at the clinic with adherence support from municipal services; or 2) a control group (CG), given two AIT sessions and encouraged to exercise on their own. Feasibility was assessed through retention/adherence. _ VO 2peak was measured directly along with conventional CVD risk factors before and after 12 weeks. Results: Of 48 out-patients, 16/25 and 18/23 completed the TG and CG respectively. After 12 weeks, _ VO 2peak was higher (2.7 AE 4.8 ml/kg/min, P < 0.01) in the TG compared with the CG. The TG improved _ VO 2peak by 3.1 AE 3.7 ml/kg/min (P < 0.01), while no change in the CG was observed. No intergroup difference in weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, blood pressure, lipids, or glucose at posttest was observed. Weight (1.9 AE 4.0 kg, P < 0.05) and BMI (0.5 AE 1.1 kg/m 2 , P < 0.05) increased in the CG, with no change in the TG. Conclusion: AIT, combined with adherence support, of out-patients with schizophrenia was feasible, improved _ VO 2peak , and may be integrated in standard care. (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02743143). Significant Outcomes• Adherence-supported aerobic interval training, integrated as standard care, improved aerobic capacity in out-patients with schizophrenia within 12 weeks. Peak oxygen uptake was measured directly along with conventional CVD risk factors.• A short introduction to aerobic interval training consisting of two training sessions and advise to continue physical training did not improve aerobic capacity. Limitations• This study was a single-center randomized controlled trial, suggesting external validity (generalizability) may be limited.• Our assessment of feasibility and effects are based on data before and after 12 weeks, and the longterm effects of the treatment are thus unclear.