Sexual assault as a public health problem and other developments in psychotraumatology

Figures & data

Figure 1. Word co-occurrence network built using words present in titles, abstracts and keywords of articles published in 2021 (VOSviewer).

Notes: Bigger nodes represent more articles being published on the subject. Lines indicate the relations between pair of nodes (citations, co-occurrence of word, co-authorship). Colour of the clusters indicates a set of closely related publications.

Figure 2. Downloads by year* (2015–2021).

Table 1. Most downloaded articles in 2021.

1. Psychological therapies for post-traumatic stress disorder in adults: Systematic review and meta-analysis (Lewis, Roberts, Andrew, et al., 2020)

2. COVID-19: urgency for distancing from domestic violence (Ertan, El-Hage, Thierree, Javelot, & Hingray, 2020)

3. Predictors and rates of PTSD, depression and anxiety in UK frontline health and social care workers during COVID-19 (Greene et al., 2021)

4. Age-related effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health of children and adolescents (Schmidt, Barblan, Lory, & Landolt, 2021)

5. Saudi Arabia Mental Health Surveillance System (MHSS): mental health trends amid COVID-19 and comparison with pre-COVID-19 trends (BinDhim et al., 2021)

6. Complex PTSD: assessment and treatment (Cloitre, 2021)

7. Understanding the lived experiences of healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic: an interpretative phenomenological analysis (McGlinchey et al., 2021)

8. Treating posttraumatic stress disorder remotely with cognitive therapy for PTSD (Wild et al., 2020).

9. Do different traumatic events invoke different kinds of post-traumatic stress symptoms? (Birkeland, Skar, & Jensen, 2021)

10. Psychological distress and state boredom during the COVID-19 outbreak in China: the role of meaning in life and media use (Chao, Chen, Liu, Yang, & Hall, 2020).

Figure 3. Downloads by region / country.

Table 2. Top cited articles in 2021 from 2019–2020.

Psychological therapies for post-traumatic stress disorder in adults: Systematic review and meta-analysis (Lewis, Roberts, Andrew, et al., 2020) Secondary traumatization in first responders: a systematic review (Greinacher, Derezza-Greeven, Herzog, & Nikendei, 2019) Virtual reality exposure therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD): a meta-analysis (Kothgassner et al., 2019) The effectiveness of narrative exposure therapy: a review, meta-analysis and meta-regression analysis (Lely, Smid, Jongedijk, Knipscheer, & Kleber, 2019) Dropout from psychological therapies for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adults: Systematic review and meta-analysis (Lewis, Roberts, Gibson, et al., 2020) The network approach to posttraumatic stress disorder: a systematic review (Birkeland, Greene, & Spiller, 2020) Early psychological intervention following recent trauma: A systematic review and meta-analysis (Roberts et al.,2019) Psychological distress and state boredom during the COVID-19 outbreak in China: the role of meaning in life and media use (Chao et al., 2020). ‘Help for trauma from the app stores?’ A systematic review and standardised rating of apps for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (Sander et al., 2020). The prevalence of common and stress-related mental health disorders in healthcare workers based in pandemic-affected hospitals: a rapid systematic review and meta-analysis (Allan et al., 2020)

Figure 4. Top Altmetric scores in 2021. (1) Greene et al. (2021), (2) De Jongh et al. (2020), (3) Thoresen, Aakvaag, Wentzel-Larsen, Dyb, and Hjemdal (2012), (4) Monson et al. (2020), (5) Kessler et al. (2017).

Table 3. Special issues.

Special issues published in 2021

The Coronavirus Pandemic and Traumatic Stress Part 1 (O'Donnell & Greene, 2021) Prevention and treatment of PTSD: the current evidence base (Bisson & Olff, 2021) Sleep, Circadian Systems and Traumatic Stress (Agorastos & Olff, 2021) Navigating the who, where, what, when, how and why of trauma exposure and response Frédérique Vallières, Philip Hyland, and Jamie Murphy (2021) Trauma and Mental Health during the Global Pandemic (ESTSS, 2021) Celebrating 10 years of the European Journal of Psychotraumatology

Issues in progress

The Coronavirus Pandemic and Traumatic Stress – Part 2 (associate editor Soraya Seedat) Integrating and Evaluating Sex and Gender in Psychotrauma Research (Guest Editor: Willemien Langeland) Complementary and integrative interventions for PTSD (guest editors Barbara Niles and Ariel Lang)

Currently open special issues with submission deadlines:

Climate Change, Disasters and Traumatic Stress – 1 June 2022 (guest editors Meaghan O’Donnell & Lawrence Palinkas) Stress, Trauma, and Related Conditions in Military, First Responders, Healthcare professionals and their Families (associate editor Cherie Armour) – 1 June 2022 Biological Mechanisms Underlying Adverse Mental Health Outcome after Trauma – 1 June 2022 (guest editor Mirjam van Zuiden) Sexual Violence from a Public Health Lens – 1 December 2022 (guest editor Emily Dworkin)

Table 4. Finalists for the ESTSS EJPT best paper of 2021.

Effect of Prolonged Exposure, intensified Prolonged Exposure and STAIR + Prolonged Exposure in patients with PTSD related to childhood abuse: a randomized controlled trial (Oprel et al., 2021)	Several persons mentioned its clinical relevance and outstanding methodology. Further comments: ‘I found this a very useful paper, clinically, with good evidence to support clinical decision making when treating patients with PTSD to childhood abuse.’ ‘I have read this paper with great pleasure, a very relevant research question, an example of great methodology and importance for clinical practice.’ ‘I think this paper deserves the award because a lot of work went into this trial and the outcomes were eagerly awaited: is it possible to treat this population with PE without stabilisation? I think this study really shows the way forward for PTSD treatment, especially when it comes to intensified PE.’ ‘In addition to clinical relevance and sound research methods the adherence to Open Research principles is to be applauded, e.g. preregistering the protocol and statistical analysis plan, and making the data available to other researchers’ (see also https://www.global-psychotrauma.net/data-sets).
Predictors and rates of PTSD, depression and anxiety in UK frontline health and social care workers during COVID-19 (Greene et al., 2021)	‘Highly topical issue, large sample, state recommendations for effective management practices in outbreak context.’ ‘This paper has been very instrumental in establishing the psychological burden placed on frontline health and social care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK. The research was well-conducted and the authors worked very hard to include a wide range of health and social care staff, not just doctors and/or nurses, but also allied health professionals, administrative staff, porters, mortuary workers, cleaners etc. This paper has been cited numerous times in many subsequent papers.’ ‘Demonstrated the high levels of clinical distress or frontline workers, and identified some important and modifiable risk factors.’
Pharmacological therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis of monotherapy, augmentation and head-to-head approaches (Hoskins, Bridges, et al., 2021) Pharmacological-assisted Psychotherapy for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis (Hoskins, Sinnerton, et al., 2021)	These two papers were often considered together. ‘Relevant for clinical practice’ ‘Exciting developments with MDMA’ ‘Makes an important contribution in synthesising evidence on medication management of PTSD by thoughtfully synthesising monotherapy, augmentation and head-to-head approaches and has clinical utility’ ‘Using medications to enhance psychotherapy is very promising for treatment in psychiatry’
Does trauma-focused psychotherapy change the brain? A systematic review of neural correlates of therapeutic gains in PTSD (Manthey, Sierk, Brakemeier, Walter, & Daniels, 2021)	‘This review provides a foundation for linking psychotherapy for PTSD to alterations in brain function.’ ‘Innovative review’ ‘Important to understand neurobiology related to treatment in order to improve its effects’
Age-related effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health of children and adolescents (Schmidt et al., 2021)	‘Highly topical issue, large sample of children and adolescents, put the focus on a vulnerable population, promoting good mental health practice.’ ‘Important COVID-19 paper in times that we it has become clear that we need to take care of the young people in addition to the elderly’ ‘The lifespan perspective’

Lewis, C., Roberts, N., Andrew, M., Starling, E., & Bisson, J. (2020). Psychological therapies for post-traumatic stress disorder in adults: Systematic review and meta-analysis. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 11(1), 1729633. doi:10.1080/20008198.2020.1729633

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Ertan, D., El-Hage, W., Thierree, S., Javelot, H., & Hingray, C. (2020). COVID-19: Urgency for distancing from domestic violence. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 11(1), 1800245. doi:10.1080/20008198.2020.1800245

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Greene, T., Harju-Seppanen, J., Adeniji, M., Steel, C., Grey, N., Brewin, C. R., … Billings, J. (2021). Predictors and rates of PTSD, depression and anxiety in UK frontline health and social care workers during COVID-19. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 12(1), 1882781. doi:10.1080/20008198.2021.1882781

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Schmidt, S. J., Barblan, L. P., Lory, I., & Landolt, M. A. (2021). Age-related effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health of children and adolescents. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 12(1), 1901407. doi:10.1080/20008198.2021.1901407

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BinDhim, N. F., Althumiri, N. A., Basyouni, M. H., Alageel, A. A., Alghnam, S., Al-Qunaibet, A. M., … Ad-Dab'bagh, Y. (2021). Saudi Arabia Mental Health Surveillance System (MHSS): Mental health trends amid COVID-19 and comparison with pre-COVID-19 trends. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 12(1), 1875642. doi:10.1080/20008198.2021.1875642

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Cloitre, M. (2021). Complex PTSD: Assessment and treatment. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 12(sup1). doi:10.1080/20008198.2020.1866423

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McGlinchey, E., Hitch, C., Butter, S., McCaughey, L., Berry, E., & Armour, C. (2021). Understanding the lived experiences of healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic: An interpretative phenomenological analysis. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 12(1). doi:10.1080/20008198.2021.1904700

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Wild, J., Warnock-Parkes, E., Murray, H., Kerr, A., Thew, G., Grey, N., … Ehlers, A. (2020). Treating posttraumatic stress disorder remotely with cognitive therapy for PTSD. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 11(1), 1785818. doi:10.1080/20008198.2020.1785818

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Birkeland, M. S., Skar, A. M. S., & Jensen, T. K. (2021). Do different traumatic events invoke different kinds of post-traumatic stress symptoms? European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 12(sup1). doi:10.1080/20008198.2020.1866399

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Chao, M., Chen, X., Liu, T., Yang, H., & Hall, B. J. (2020). Psychological distress and state boredom during the COVID-19 outbreak in China: The role of meaning in life and media use. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 11(1), 1769379. doi:10.1080/20008198.2020.1769379

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Greinacher, A., Derezza-Greeven, C., Herzog, W., & Nikendei, C. (2019). Secondary traumatization in first responders: A systematic review. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 10(1), 1562840. doi:10.1080/20008198.2018.1562840

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Kothgassner, O. D., Goreis, A., Kafka, J. X., Van Eickels, R. L., Plener, P. L., & Felnhofer, A. (2019). Virtual reality exposure therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD): A meta-analysis. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 10(1), 1654782. doi:10.1080/20008198.2019.1654782

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Lely, J. C. G., Smid, G. E., Jongedijk, R. A., Knipscheer, W. J., & Kleber, R. J. (2019). The effectiveness of narrative exposure therapy: A review, meta-analysis and meta-regression analysis. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 10(1), 1550344. doi:10.1080/20008198.2018.1550344

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Lewis, C., Roberts, N. P., Gibson, S., & Bisson, J. I. (2020). Dropout from psychological therapies for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adults: Systematic review and meta-analysis. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 11(1), 1709709. doi:10.1080/20008198.2019.1709709

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Birkeland, M. S., Greene, T., & Spiller, T. R. (2020). The network approach to posttraumatic stress disorder: A systematic review. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 11(1), 1700614. doi:10.1080/20008198.2019.1700614

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Sander, L. B., Schorndanner, J., Terhorst, Y., Spanhel, K., Pryss, R., Baumeister, H., & Messner, E. M. (2020). ‘Help for trauma from the app stores?’ A systematic review and standardised rating of apps for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 11(1), 1701788. doi:10.1080/20008198.2019.1701788

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Allan, S. M., Bealey, R., Birch, J., Cushing, T., Parke, S., Sergi, G., … Meiser-Stedman, R. (2020). The prevalence of common and stress-related mental health disorders in healthcare workers based in pandemic-affected hospitals: A rapid systematic review and meta-analysis. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 11(1), 1810903. doi:10.1080/20008198.2020.1810903

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De Jongh, A., Groenland, G. N., Sanches, S., Bongaerts, H., Voorendonk, E. M., & Van Minnen, A. (2020). The impact of brief intensive trauma-focused treatment for PTSD on symptoms of borderline personality disorder. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 11(1), 1721142. doi:10.1080/20008198.2020.1721142

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Thoresen, S., Aakvaag, H. F., Wentzel-Larsen, T., Dyb, G., & Hjemdal, O. K. (2012). The day Norway cried: Proximity and distress in Norwegian citizens following the 22nd July 2011 terrorist attacks in Oslo and on Utoya Island. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 3(1). doi:10.3402/ejpt.v3i0.19709

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Kessler, R. C., Aguilar-Gaxiola, S., Alonso, J., Benjet, C., Bromet, E. J., Cardoso, G., … Trauma and PTSD in the WHO World Mental Health Surveys (2017). Trauma and PTSD in the WHO world mental health surveys. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 8(1), 1353383. doi:10.1080/20008198.2017.1353383

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O'Donnell, M. L., & Greene, T. (2021). Understanding the mental health impacts of COVID-19 through a trauma lens. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 12(1), 1982502. doi:10.1080/20008198.2021.1982502

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Bisson, J. I., & Olff, M. (2021). Prevention and treatment of PTSD: The current evidence base. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 12(1), 1824381. doi:10.1080/20008198.2020.1824381

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Agorastos, A., & Olff, M. (2021). Sleep, circadian system and traumatic stress. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 12(1). doi:10.1080/20008198.2021.1956746

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Oprel, D. A. C., Hoeboer, C. M., Schoorl, M., de Kleine, R. A., Cloitre, M., Wigard, I. G., … van der Does, W. (2021). Effect of prolonged exposure, intensified prolonged exposure and STAIR + prolonged exposure in patients with PTSD related to childhood abuse: A randomized controlled trial. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 12(1), 1851511. doi:10.1080/20008198.2020.1851511

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Hoskins, M. D., Bridges, J., Sinnerton, R., Nakamura, A., Underwood, J. F. G., Slater, A., … Bisson, J. I. (2021). Pharmacological therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis of monotherapy, augmentation and head-to-head approaches. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 12(1), 1802920. doi:10.1080/20008198.2020.1802920

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Hoskins, M. D., Sinnerton, R., Nakamura, A., Underwood, J. F. G., Slater, A., Lewis, C., … Bisson, J. I. (2021). Pharmacological-assisted psychotherapy for post-traumatic stress disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 12(1), 1802920. doi:10.1080/20008198.2020.1853379

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Manthey, A., Sierk, A., Brakemeier, E. L., Walter, H., & Daniels, J. K. (2021). Does trauma-focused psychotherapy change the brain? A systematic review of neural correlates of therapeutic gains in PTSD. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 12(1), 1929025. doi:10.1080/20008198.2021.1929025

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Data availability statement

All journal data presented can be found through the presented links or from the author.