RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, CA, USA.
J Interpers Violence. 2014 Mar;29(5):824-45. doi: 10.1177/0886260513505705. Epub 2013 Nov 19.
As more advanced methodologies are developed for symptom assessment in traumatic stress studies, it is important to examine how these methodologies can exacerbate distress or contribute to symptoms among study participants. Using a sample of 202 female college students, we examined the changes in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and general psychological symptomatology among groups of trauma-exposed and non-trauma-exposed women randomly assigned to complete 30 days of daily monitoring of traumatic symptoms and substance use behaviors using personal digital assistants (PDAs). These two groups were compared with a trauma-exposed sample of women who did not complete daily monitoring assessments and only completed pre- and post-monitoring online assessments. While trauma-exposed participants in the monitoring group reported more distress from the daily assessments than those in the monitoring group with no history of trauma, this distress level was relatively low. Online surveys delivered pre- and post-monitoring showed a similar pattern. Trauma-exposed participants in monitoring and no-monitoring groups reported a decrease in general psychological symptoms over the 30 days; however, monitoring participants reported increased levels of PTSD severity over time. Closer examination revealed the observed changes were relatively moderate. Participants expressed benefits and risks regarding study participation supporting the findings that repeated assessments of traumatic symptoms using personal handheld devices may lead to small increases in distress and PTSD symptoms, but that these approaches may be generally well tolerated.
随着创伤后应激障碍研究中症状评估的更先进方法的发展，重要的是要研究这些方法如何加剧研究参与者的痛苦或导致症状加重。我们使用了 202 名女性大学生的样本，研究了创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）症状和一般心理症状在随机分配到使用个人数字助理（PDA）完成 30 天创伤症状和物质使用行为日常监测的创伤暴露组和非创伤暴露组中的变化。与未完成日常监测评估、仅完成监测前和监测后在线评估的创伤暴露女性样本相比，比较了这两组。与没有创伤史的监测组相比，监测组中的创伤暴露参与者报告称，日常评估带来的痛苦更多，但这种痛苦程度相对较低。监测前和监测后的在线调查显示出类似的模式。监测和无监测组的创伤暴露参与者在 30 天内报告一般心理症状有所下降；然而，监测参与者报告 PTSD 严重程度随时间增加。更仔细的检查表明，观察到的变化相对温和。参与者对研究参与表达了益处和风险，这支持了使用个人手持设备反复评估创伤症状可能会导致痛苦和 PTSD 症状略有增加的观点，但这些方法可能普遍耐受良好。
