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Finding meanings in Late onset Post Traumatic Stress Disorder – a review of the literature

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 September 2022

B. Ramos ,
I. Soares Da Costa ,
A. Elias De Sousa ,
F. Andrade  and
F. Santos Martins
B. Ramos*
Affiliation:
Centro Hospitalar Universitário São João, Psychiatry And Mental Health Department, Porto, Portugal
I. Soares Da Costa
Affiliation:
Centro Hospitalar Universitário São João, Psychiatry And Mental Health Department, Porto, Portugal
A. Elias De Sousa
Affiliation:
Centro Hospitalar Universitário São João, Psychiatry And Mental Health Department, Porto, Portugal
F. Andrade
Affiliation:
Centro Hospitalar Universitário São João, Psychiatry And Mental Health Department, Porto, Portugal
F. Santos Martins
Affiliation:
Centro Hospitalar Universitário São João, Psychiatry And Mental Health Department, Porto, Portugal
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

About a decade ago, the idea of a Late-Onset Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (LO-PTSD) emerged, in order to characterize the later-life emergence of symptoms related to early-life warzone trauma among aging combat Veterans.

Objectives

This paper provides a review of the changes happened during the onset of a late form of PTSD and how can mental health professionals intervene.

Methods

Review of the literature from 2015 to present, using search engines such as Pubmed and Google Schoolar, using the following keywords: Late-Onset Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, triggers, prevention, intervention

Results

At first, there was hypothesized that aging-related challenges (role transition and loss, death of family members and friends, physical and cognitive decline) might lead to increased reminiscence, and possibly distress, among Veterans who had previously dealt successfully with earlier traumatic events. However, recent studies have proposed that in later life many combat Veterans confront and rework their wartime memories in an effort to find meaning and build coherence. Through reminiscence, life review, and wrestling with issues such as integrity versus despair, they intentionally reengage with experiences they avoided or managed successfully earlier in life, perhaps without resolution or integration. This process can lead positively to personal growth or negatively to increased symptomatology.

Conclusions

Therefore the role of preventive intervention in enhancing positive outcomes for Veterans who reengage with their wartime memories in later life should be reconsidered.

Disclosure

No significant relationships.

Keywords

Late Onset Post Traumatic Stress DisordertriggerspreventionTrauma
Type
Abstract
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 65 , Special Issue S1: Abstracts of the 30th European Congress of Psychiatry , June 2022 , pp. S675 - S676
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the European Psychiatric Association
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