The Physical and Mental Toll of PTSD

MedEvidence Articles

In this week's episode we explore how trauma affects many system in the body, with symptoms that can last years or even decades. PTSD impacts not only mental health but also physical health, causing chronic stress that can lead to cardiovascular issues, metabolic changes, and immune dysfunction. We’ll break down the science behind stress responses like allostatic load, which disrupts our body’s ability to adapt and recover, and dive into effective treatments, from trauma-focused talk therapies to new research on psychedelic-assisted therapies.
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Resources:

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (31 October 2024). PTSD: National center for PTSD. [Website]. Accessed 11 November, 2024. https://www.ptsd.va.gov/

Look for PTSD studies at clinicaltrials.gov

References:

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Understanding the impact of trauma. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK207191/box/part1_ch3.box16/

Campbell et al. (2007). A comparison of veteran and nonveteran motivations and reasons for participating in clinical trials. https://doi.org/10.7205/MILMED.172.1.27

Del Gaizo et al. (2011). Posttraumatic stress disorder, poor physical health and substance use behaviors in a national trauma-exposed sample. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2011.03.016

Eftekhari et al. (2013). Effectiveness of national implementation of prolonged exposure therapy in Veterans Affairs care. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/1714401

Friedman. (9 May, 2024). History of PTSD in veterans: Civil War to DSM-5. https://www.ptsd.va.gov/understand/what/history_ptsd.asp

Hillyer et al. (2021, April). Positive attitudes toward clinical trials among military veterans leaves unanswered questions about poor trial accrual https://doi.org/10.1053/j.seminoncol.2021.04.001

Kirschbaum et al. (1995). Persistent high cortisol responses to repeated psychological stress in a subpopulation of healthy men. https://journals.lww.com/psychosomaticmedicine/abstract/1995/09000/persistent_high_cortisol_responses_to_repeated.9.aspx

Lykos Therapeutics. (9 August, 2024). Lykos therapeutics announces complete response letter for midomafetamine capsules for PTSD. Lykos therapeutics news releases. https://news.lykospbc.com/2024-08-09-Lykos-Therapeutics-Announces-Complete-Response-Letter-for-Midomafetamine-Capsules-for-PTSD

McEwen. (1998). Protective and damaging effects of stress mediators. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM199801153380307

Mithoefer, et al. (2011). The safety and efficacy of±3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine-assisted psychotherapy in subjects with chronic, treatment-resistant posttraumatic stress disorder: the first randomized controlled pilot study. https://doi.org/10.1177/0269881110378371

Reiff et al. (2020). Psychedelics and psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. https://psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/appi.ajp.2019.19010035

Taylor-Desir. (2022, November). What is Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)? American psychiatric association. https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/ptsd/what-is-ptsd