Matt Gray - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Matt Gray

Behavior modification, 2005

Despite the successes in the treatment of chronic trauma-related distress, little attention has b... more Despite the successes in the treatment of chronic trauma-related distress, little attention has been devoted to developing behavioral interventions to be delivered soon after traumatic exposure in an effort to promote positive posttraumatic adjustment and to minimize the likelihood of enduring psychopathology. As a result, other forms of early intervention have filled this void and have been widely disseminated and applied, despite the lack of compelling evidence attesting to their efficacy. This article reviews the literature bearing on early interventions for trauma, including the encouraging outcomes of recently developed behavioral treatments. Empirically informed practice guidelines for intervening with recently traumatized individuals are presented. Future treatment development efforts will need to address an issue that has been largely neglected in traditional treatment models for traumatized populations-that of traumatic bereavement. Behavioral interventions may be particula...

Assessment, 2004

The Life Events Checklist (LEC), a measure of exposure to potentially traumatic events, was devel... more The Life Events Checklist (LEC), a measure of exposure to potentially traumatic events, was developed at the National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) concurrently with the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) to facilitate the diagnosis of PTSD. Although the CAPS is recognized as the gold standard in PTSD symptom assessment, the psychometric soundness of the LEC has never been formally evaluated. The studies reported here describe the performance of the LEC in two samples: college undergraduates and combat veterans. The LEC exhibited adequate temporal stability, good convergence with an established measure of trauma history -- the Traumatic Life Events Questionnaire (TLEQ) -- and was comparable to the TLEQ in associations with variables known to be correlated with traumatic exposure in a sample of undergraduates. In a clinical sample of combat veterans, the LEC was significantly correlated, in the predicted directions, with measures of psychological distress and ...

PsycEXTRA Dataset, 2000

We investigated the posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) module's trauma screen of the Structured... more We investigated the posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) module's trauma screen of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID), a single-item traumatic event history query. Compared to the Stressful Life Events Screening Questionnaire (SLESQ), the SCID trauma screen was 76% sensitive in identifying trauma histories in 199 medical patients (correctly ruling out 67%) but only 66% sensitive in 253 college students (ruling out 87%). A modified, more behaviorally specific SCID trauma screen (M-SCID) yielded poorer results in identifying trauma among 245 additional college students. Based on probable PTSD diagnoses (PTSD Symptom Scale), using the SCID screen instead of the SLESQ, 3% (M-SCID screen) to 11-14% (standard SCID) of PTSD cases were missed due to not having a trauma history. Our results lend support to previous research establishing the SCID trauma screen as a useful screening device in settings where a more comprehensive trauma screen is not possible.

Journal of Traumatic Stress, 2001

This study compared characteristics of recently occurring assaults against younger adults (age 18... more This study compared characteristics of recently occurring assaults against younger adults (age 18-34 years) with those of distant-past assaults against older adults (age 55-89 years) when they were younger: Responses of a subset of participants in the National Women's Study were the source of data for this study. With the exception of perceived life threat during assault (more prevalent in younger women), assault characteristics did not vary greatly by age in terms of proportions reporting that they had seen the perpetrator before; the event was one in a series; they or the perpetrator were under the infruence of a nibstance; they actually experienced injury; and they reported the assault to authorities. Consistent with previous research, younger women reported greater prevalences of assault than older women. KEY WORDS: rape; violence; older adult; assault; prevalence.

Journal of Personality Assessment, 2007

In this article, we combine two analogue experiments in which we empirically examined three malin... more In this article, we combine two analogue experiments in which we empirically examined three malingering methodological issues in individuals trained and instructed to simulate posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on the Trauma Symptom Inventory (TSI; Briere, 1995). In Experiment 1, we examined TSI scale effects of the following manipulations using a 2 × 2 design with 330 college students: (a) inclusion or exclusion of cautionary instructions regarding believability of participants' simulation and (b) different financial incentive levels. In Experiment 2, we examined comorbid psychiatric diagnostic training with 180 college students who were either trained to simulate PTSD and comorbid major depressive disorder or trained to simulate only PTSD. Caution main effects were significant for all but two TSI Clinical Scales, incentive main effects and interactions were only significant for one Clinical scale each, and the comorbidity manipulation did not yield any scale differences. We discuss malingering research design implications regarding the use of cautionary instructions, financial incentive levels, and comorbid training.

Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 2002

Psychological sequelae of interpersonal violence in older adults remain understudied. Existing in... more Psychological sequelae of interpersonal violence in older adults remain understudied. Existing investigations focused on the clinical presentation of older adults who were traumatized as young adults (e.g., combat veterans). Consequently, little is known about the clinical correlates of trauma in recently victimized older adults. This descriptive study attempt to ®ll this void by documenting the symptom status and demographic features of 36 treatment-seeking older adult crime victims. Results indicated that older adult crime victims who seek services are a multiply traumatized group. They experienced signi®cant ®nancial, educational, medical, and social stressors that may complicate their clinical picture and treatment progress. Additionally, older adult crime victims experienced moderate-to-severe levels of psychopathology as evidenced by symptoms endorsed on an array of structured clinical interviews and paper-and-pencil measures designed to measure symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression, and panic. #

Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 2003

Because a relatively small percentage of individuals who experience a traumatic event ultimately ... more Because a relatively small percentage of individuals who experience a traumatic event ultimately develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), it is incumbent upon researchers to identify factors of vulnerability and risk. One possible risk factor is attributional style or the types of causes individuals habitually offer for negative life events. This study examined the association between pessimistic attributional style and symptoms of PTSD. Because of methodological problems with the traditional questionnaire measurement of dispositional attributional style, this investigation added a structured content analysis of participants' trauma narratives to examine associations between trauma-specific attributions and PTSD symptoms. Dispositional attributional style, measured by the attributional style questionnaire (ASQ), was significantly associated with PTSD symptoms, but traumaspecific attributions more strongly predicted symptoms. #

Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 2010

This investigation evaluated the Atypical Response (ATR) scale of the Trauma Symptom Inventory -2... more This investigation evaluated the Atypical Response (ATR) scale of the Trauma Symptom Inventory -2nd edition (TSI-2) in terms of its ability to distinguish genuine symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from simulated PTSD. Seventy-five undergraduate students were trained to simulate PTSD and were given monetary incentives to do so. Their responses on the PTSD Checklist (PCL), TSI-2 ATR, and Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) validity scales were compared to responses of 49 undergraduate students with genuine symptoms of PTSD instructed to respond honestly on testing. Results indicate that the revised version of the ATR is superior to the original version in detecting malingered PTSD. Discriminant Function Analyses revealed correct classification of 75% of genuinely distressed individuals and 74% of PTSD simulators.

Depression and Anxiety, 2009

Background: The Trauma Assessment for Adults (TAA) was developed to facilitate the assessment of ... more Background: The Trauma Assessment for Adults (TAA) was developed to facilitate the assessment of exposure to traumatic events that could result in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The TAA inquires about numerous potentially traumatic events that an individual may have experienced. Although the TAA has been used extensively for clinical and research purposes, its psychometric properties have never been formally evaluated. The objective of the present investigation was to evaluate the psychometric properties of this frequently used measure. Methods: The studies reported here describe the performance of the TAA in two samples-college undergraduates (N 5 142) and community mental health center clients (N 5 67). Among undergraduates, 1-week temporal stability was evaluated and, in both samples, item-and scalelevel convergence of the TAA with an established trauma exposure measure was assessed. Convergence of the TAA with clinically related constructs was also evaluated. Results: The TAA exhibited adequate temporal stability (r 5.80) and satisfactory item-level convergence with existing measures of trauma history among college students. In the clinical sample, the TAA again converged well with an established measure of trauma exposure (r 5.65). It was not as strongly predictive, in either sample, of trauma-related distress relative to an alternate trauma exposure measure. Conclusion: Although it performs satisfactorily, the TAA does not appear to be superior to other existing measures of trauma exposure. Depression and Anxiety 26:190-195, 2009. r r

Behavior Modification, 2007

This study was designed to evaluate attitudes toward and utilization of evidence-based practices ... more This study was designed to evaluate attitudes toward and utilization of evidence-based practices (EBPs) among mental health professionals specializing in trauma. An Internet survey was completed by 461 trauma professionals who were recruited via International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies membership rolls and electronic mailing lists of trauma special interest groups. Although a minority of participants held negative views of EBPs, the overwhelming majority of respondents were supportive of the EBP movement. Theoretical orientation, training model, and age were associated with EBP attitudes. Favorable EBP attitudes were not as strongly related to reported clinical behaviors as might reasonably be expected. Even respondents utilizing unsupported treatments espoused positive EBP opinions, suggesting that practitioners may hold widely varying evidentiary standards.

Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 2011

The growing number of service members in need of mental health care requires that empirically bas... more The growing number of service members in need of mental health care requires that empirically based interventions be tailored to the unique demands and exigencies of this population. We discuss a 6-session intervention for combat-related PTSD designed to foster willingness to engage with and disclose difficult deployment memories through a combination of imaginal exposure and subsequent cognitive restructuring and meaning-making strategies. Core corrective elements of existing PTSD treatments are incorporated and expanded, including techniques designed to specifically address traumatic loss and moral conflict.