Posttraumatic safety behaviors: Characteristics and associations with symptom severity in two samples.

Abstract

People with anxiety-related disorders often engage in safety behaviors: overt or covert actions performed to prevent the occurrence of a feared outcome and/or reduce associated distress. Although clinical experience and conceptual models of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) underscore the deleterious long-term effects of such strategies on PTSD symptoms, little empirical research has specifically examined safety behaviors in the context of posttraumatic stress. The current multisite study was designed to identify common posttraumatic safety behaviors and examine their relation to symptom severity. Interview and self-report data were collected from adults residing in the Western United States reporting ongoing distress related to a lifetime traumatic event (n = 89) as well as from adults with a current PTSD diagnosis residing in the Southeastern United States (n = 47). Results showed that posttraumatic safety behaviors were not only common in both groups but also significantly correlated with trauma-related cognitions (rs = .39–.45), self-reported PTSD symptoms (rs = .56–.72), and interviewer-rated PTSD symptoms (rs = .32–.51). Findings point to specific posttraumatic coping strategies that would be important to consider in a clinical context.

Psychological effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in health professionals: A systematic review with meta-analysis

“…We found many psychiatric disorders like anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress in health professionals during and after pandemics ( Blakey et al, 2019 ; Gardner and Moallef, 2015 ; Mak et al, 2009 ). It is noteworthy that this population especially has a higher chance of evolving to more severe conditions of the disease, considering that the infection caused by a high viral load results in a worse prognosis for SARS-CoV-2 ( Liu et al, 2020 ).…”

Women’s health anxiety and psychological wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic. A descriptive study

“…5 In many countries, including Turkey, people's practices within daily life have been interrupted by lockdown, social isolation or self-isolation. [6][7][8] Current studies on the COVID-19 pandemic have reported overreactions in society caused by common fear. In particular, it has been reported that individuals who survived and healthcare professionals experienced psychiatric disorders such as anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.…”

Post‐traumatic stress disorder and firearm ownership, access, and storage practices: A systematic review.

“…However, it is well‐documented that safety aids/behaviors might interfere with PTSD treatment outcomes (e.g., by promoting safety misattributions; Blakey & Abramowitz, 2016). Firearm ownership/unsafe storage practices, for instance, might represent a specific safety behavior in the context of PTSD, particularly if there is a functional link between the behavior (e.g., unsafe storage of firearms) and threat‐related cognitions (e.g., "the world is unsafe"; Blakey et al., 2020). Thus, under these types of conditions, PTSD‐specific treatment will require heightened attention to safety behavior elimination.…”