Ingo Schäfer

University Medical Center Hamburg - Eppendorf · Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy

The European countries have a long history of exposure to large-scale trauma. In the early 1990s the increasing awareness of the consequences of trauma within the mental health community led to the foundation of local societies for psychotraumatology across Europe and the European Society of Traumatic Stress Studies (ESTSS), which celebrated its 25...

Guidance paper Council of Europe

Die S3-Leitlinie „Posttraumatische Belastungsstörung“ (PTBS) wurde in ihrer aktualisierten Version von 2019 von zahlreichen Fachgesellschaften unter der Federführung der Deutschsprachigen Gesellschaft für Psychotraumatologie (DeGPT) erarbeitet. Sie enthält gegenüber der Vorversion verschiedene Neuerungen: Aufgrund der Einführung der Diagnose „Kompl...

Background Refugees often report high levels of psychological distress due to traumatic experiences before and during flight as well as many post-migration stressors. Refugees with hazardous substance use or existing substance use disorder (SUD) are a particularly vulnerable group for whom few preventive and therapeutic measures are available. The...

Background: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorder (SUD) are often comorbid and difficult to treat. The availability of evidence-based treatment guidelines is very limited and there is significant uncertainty about what best practice looks like. Objective: This paper describes the methodology used to develop expert recomme...

Aims Our study aimed to a) describe the distribution of hospital discharges with primary and secondary alcohol‐specific diagnoses by sex and age group, and b) describe how the number of hospital discharges with primary and secondary alcohol‐specific diagnoses have changed across different diagnostic groups (categorized by primary International Clas...

Zusammenfassung Hintergrund Hilfen nach akuter Gewalt wurden bislang durch das Opferentschädigungsgesetz (OEG) geregelt. Zu Beginn des laufenden Jahres wurde es durch das Sozialgesetzbuch XIV (SGB XIV) abgelöst. Durch das SGB XIV werden neue Gruppen von Leistungsberechtigten definiert, Traumaambulanzen müssen flächendeckend vorgehalten werden und...

Aim: Alcohol use is causing a considerable health burden for individuals and society in Germany. To reduce the burden from alcohol use, ensuring optimal treatment for those who are in need, is key. With this data-linkage study, we aim to provide a comprehensive description of healthcare service use among individuals with alcohol use disorders (AUD)...

Zusammenfassung Der Abruf von Erinnerungen an vergangene Ereignisse, Gefühle und Erfahrungen ist ein komplexer Prozess. Wenn wir traumatische Ereignisse erleben, wie es bei sexualisierter Gewalt der Fall ist, ergibt sich eine ganze Reihe zusätzlicher Schwierigkeiten und Komplexitäten. Besonders wichtig wird dies in Gerichtsverfahren, die sich überw...

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic caused multiple stressors that may lead to symptoms of adjustment disorder. Objective: We longitudinally examined relationships between risk and protective factors, pandemic-related stressors and symptoms of adjustment disorder during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as whether these relationships differed by the tim...

Zusammenfassung Ziel der Studie Die Untersuchung von Variationen intendierter Inanspruchnahme in Fällen einer psychotischen Episode, einer alkoholbezogenen oder depressiven Störung in Abhängigkeit unterschiedlicher Falleigenschaften. Methode Eine telefonische Befragung mit Fallvignetten wurde durchgeführt (N=1.200). Die Vignetten variierten hinsich...

Background Health and adequate access to health care are human rights. Refugees are at risk for substance abuse. Despite the known structural and personal risk factors for abuse, refugees in Germany continue to face barriers to adequate addiction prevention and care, which is a violation of the fundamental human right to health care. The question a...

Perceived treatment urgency of mental disorders are important as they determine utilization of health care. The aim was to analyze variations in perceived treatment urgency in cases of psychosis (adolescents), alcoholism (adults), and depression (older adults) with two levels of severity each by characteristics of the case and the respondents. A te...

Zusammenfassung: Zielsetzung: Ziel der Studie ist, herauszufinden, inwieweit vorliegende Strategien guter Praxis zum Erreichen und Versorgen Geflüchteter in der Suchthilfe Anwendung finden. Wie in anderen Einrichtungen der Gesundheitsversorgung erschweren auch in der Suchthilfe Barrieren den Zugang sowie die Versorgung Geflüchteter. Oftmals wird di...

Zusammenfassung: Zielsetzung: Personen mit Fluchthintergrund weisen besondere Risiken für substanzbezogene Störungen auf. Zugleich werden sie seltener von Suchthilfeeinrichtungen erreicht. Strategien zur Prävention und Behandlung von Substanzstörungen bei Geflüchteten sind deshalb dringend erforderlich. Methodik: In vier eng miteinander verbundenen...

The COVID-19 pandemic is a manifestation of trauma exposure that could eventuate in psychological distress, anxiety, depression, and various mental health disturbances, especially in people who have experienced an additional stressor such as a traumatic event. This cross-sectional study assessed the relationship between pandemic-related stressors,...

Childhood maltreatment (CM) has been related to social functioning and social cognition impairment in people with psychotic disorders (PD); however, evidence across different CM subtypes and social domains remains less clear. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to quantify associations between CM, overall and its different subtypes (...

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has been linked to changes in alcohol consumption, access to healthcare services and alcohol-attributable harm. In this contribution, we quantify changes in alcohol-specific mortality and hospitalizations at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 in Germany. Methods: We obtained monthly...

Background Health and adequate access to health care is a human right. Despite both structural and personal risk factors towards substance abuse, refugees continue to face barriers to receive adequate addiction care in Germany, neglecting their human right of adequate health care. The question arises as to how barriers for refugees in reaching addi...

Trauma-focused psychotherapy (tf-PT) is the first-line treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Tf-PT focuses on processing and modulating trauma memories. Not all patients benefit, however, and there is room for improvement of efficacy. Pharmacologically augmenting trauma memory modulation in the context of tf-PT may help optimise treat...

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, female gender was a robust factor associated with mental health problems. This study aimed to investigate associations between pandemic-related risk factors, stressors, and clinical symptoms, with special reference to gender and possible differential gender effects. Methods: Participants were recruited fro...

Background: Although the detrimental health effects of alcohol are well established, consumption levels are high in many high-income countries such as Germany. Improving alcohol health literacy presents an integrated approach to alcohol prevention and an important complement to alcohol policy. Our aim was to identify and prioritize measures to enh...

Background The four-item Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4) is a widely used screening measure for depression and anxiety. Objectives This study aimed to test factor structure and measurement invariance in an adult sample of the general population across seven European countries. Method A total sample of 9230 adults, 71.3 % female, Mage = 44....

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a high burden in the general population. The exposure to an accumulation of risk factors, as opposed to a single risk, may have been associated with higher levels of depressive and anxiety symptoms during the pandemic. This study aimed to (1) identify subgroups of individuals with distinct constellations of risk fac...

Background Previous research concluded that substance (mis)use is increasing among forcibly displaced populations. Nevertheless, little research has been conducted within a social ecological framework aimed at identifying and understanding the factors affecting substance (mis)use embedded in the post-migration context in high-income countries. The...

Background Posttraumatic disorders are among the most frequent co-occurring diagnoses in patients with substance use disorders (SUD). Individuals with this dual diagnosis often present with special treatment needs, especially after childhood traumatic experiences (CT). Along with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and dissociative symptoms, suici...

Background: Traumatic events are strongly associated with mental health problems. At present, traumatic events and trauma-specific needs are commonly underdetected in therapeutic settings. Many mental health professionals lack key competencies for trauma inquiry and treatment. Objective: In this study, we aimed to investigate the everyday practi...

Background: A dissociative subtype of posttraumatic stress disorder (D-PTSD) was introduced into the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) but latent profiles and clinical correlates of D-PTSD remain controversial. Objective: The aims of our study were to identify subgroups of individuals with distinct...

Background: The psychological treatment of comorbid post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorder (SUD) is clinically challenging, and outcomes are often poor. Objective: This paper describes a systematic review and meta-analysis which sought to establish the current efficacy for a number of established psychological approache...

Background: Afghan refugees often face hardship and traumatic experiences before, during, and after migration and frequently suffer from mental health burdens. Evidence based psychological treatments for refugees mostly focus on symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), however, refugees often suffer from a variety of general health problem...

Background: While many elaborated treatment protocols focus on post-traumatic stress symptoms, a large number of refugees suffer from a range of mental health problems. Thus, brief and transdiagnostic psychological interventions may be helpful first interventions for help-seeking refugees and asylum seekers in a stepped-care approach. Critically,...

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic is a health emergency resulting in multiple stressors that may be related to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Objective: This study examined relationships between risk and protective factors, pandemic-related stressors, and PTSD during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Data from the European Society of Traumatic...

Nalmefene is an opioid-receptor modulator with antagonistic effects at the μ- and δ-opioid receptors, with partial antagonism only at the κ-opioid receptor. Nalmefene has been studied in alcohol use disorder since the 1990s. Initial studies were conducted in the United States, followed by a series of large-scale studies in Europe followed by a stud...

Background: A negative self-concept is characterised by dysfunctional cognitions about the self and has been suggested to be a key factor involved in the development and maintenance of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In addition, the current definitions of PTSD according to DSM-5 and the new ICD-11 diagnosis of Complex PTSD (CPTSD) include as...

Daten zur Komorbidität bei medikamentenbezogenen Störungen liegen nach Kenntnis der Autor*innen für Deutschland nicht ausreichend vor.

Background Previous research concluded that substance (mis)use is increasing among forcibly displaced populations. Nevertheless, little research has been conducted within a social ecological framework aimed at identifying and understanding the factors impacting substance (mis)use embedded in the post-migration context in high-income countries. Met...

Background: Network analysis has gained increasing attention as a new framework to study complex associations between symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A number of studies have been published to investigate symptom networks on different sets of symptoms in different populations, and the findings have been inconsistent. Objective: W...

Background: During the current COVID-19 pandemic, people need to cope with multiple stressors which may affect their well-being. This study aimed (1) to identify latent coping profiles in the German general population, and (2) to investigate differences between these profiles in well-being. Methods: In total, N = 2,326 German participants were r...

b> Hintergrund: Schwere sexualisierte Gewalt erfolgt meist in Verbindung mit körperlicher und psychischer Gewalt an Kindern, Jugendlichen und Erwachsenen. In den letzten Jahren wurde deutlich, dass einige Formen von sexualisierter Gewalt systematisch und durch untereinander bekannte Täter:innen oder Netzwerke organisiert ausgeübt werden und mehrere...

This study assessed the validity and reliability of the Pandemic Coping Scale (PCS), a new brief measure of coping with pandemic-related stressors. Methods The PCS was administered to N = 2316 German participants during the COVID-19 pandemic. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis was applied among random splits of the sample. Global goodnes...

Ziel dieses systematischen Reviews ist die Erfassung des internationalen Forschungsstands zu Diagnostik und Therapie Posttraumatischer Belastungsstörungen bei erwachsenen Menschen mit intellektueller Beeinträchtigung. Durchgeführt wurde eine Internetrecherche nach PRISMA-Standard für 1990 bis 2020. Nach Anwendung der Ausschlusskriterien konnten sec...

Background Psychological distress due to the ongoing war, violence, and persecution is particularly common among Afghan asylum seekers and refugees. In addition, individuals face a variety of post-migration living difficulties (PMLDs). Complex posttraumatic stress symptoms are among the most common mental health problems in this population, and wer...

Background: This study aimed to assess the factorial validity and reliability of the Pandemic Stressor Scale (PaSS), a new measure to assess the severity of distress for different stressors relevant during a pandemic or epidemic. Methods: The PaSS was administered in N = 2760 German participants. Exploratory factor analysis was used to extract f...

Objective: Investigation of the differences in dealing with traumatic experiences of patients between psychotherapists with and without further training in trauma therapy or partial qualification. Methods: Online survey of outpatient psychotherapists (N = 148) on possible obstacles in addressing traumatic experiences of patients and self-reporte...

The Approach and Avoidance Task (AAT) has been shown effective in reducing relapse rates among patients with alcohol-use disorder and thus can enhance treatment outcome. However, until now the working mechanisms of the AAT are poorly understood. An intriguing possibility is that response inhibition, as a predominantly reflective process, might play...

Introduction: Many studies have investigated the latent structure of the DSM-5 criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, most research on this topic was based on self-report data. We aimed to investigate the latent structure of PTSD based on a clinical interview, the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS-5). Method: A clinica...

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a wide range of stressors related to depressive symptoms. Prevention measures like physical distancing have burdened the general population, especially in highly urbanized areas. However, little is known about the associations between pandemic-related stressors, coping strategies, and depressive symptoms...

Patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who have been subjected to sexual, physical or emotional violence in childhood often have a wide range of symptoms. These are often difficulties in interpersonal relationships and in the emotional sphere. They may find it difficult to build trust, to allow intimacy, to deal with criticism from oth...

Background: Numerous traumatic experiences and post-migration living difficulties (PMLDs) increase the risk of developing symptoms of complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) among Afghan refugees and asylum seekers, living in Austria. Research has repeatedly associated higher levels of CPTSD with higher levels of PMLDs. Summarizing PMLDs int...

Background Refugees often suffer from multiple mental health problems, which transdiagnostic interventions can address. STARC (Skills-Training of Affect Regulation – A Culture-sensitive Approach) is a culturally sensitive transdiagnostic group intervention that has been developed for refugees to improve affect regulation. In refugees with substance...

Background Little is known about Syrian refugees ‘perspectives on substance use. Syrians have been the largest groups of refugees in Germany since 2014. To investigate Syrian refugees’ perspectives on substance use we applied a qualitative study design. Methods Five semi-structured focus group discussions with a total of 19 refugees were conducted...

Background Substance use is a problem among refugee populations. Instruments which assess substance use have been translated into different languages, but are not culturally sensitive. This research gap has to be filled to acquire information about substance use disorders in refugee populations, especially from Arabic countries, as a confession to...

BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic exposes individuals to multiple stressors, such as quarantine, physical distancing, job loss, risk of infection, and loss of loved ones. Such a complex array of stressors potentially lead to symptoms of adjustment disorder. OBJECTIVE This cross-sectional exploratory study examined relationships between risk and prot...

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Engagement in “chemsex” among men who have sex with men is associated with higher rates of STIs and HIV seroconversion as well as an increased mental health burden. MSM were recruited for an anonymous online survey. The survey included questions of substance use, consumption motives, sexual risk behavior, HIV serostatus, and psychological character...

Background: Childhood maltreatment (CM) is thought to play a key role in the etiology and course of psychotic disorders (PD). In addition, CM is related to neurobiological and clinical characteristics that can lead to poor social functioning. However, the extent to which CM and social functioning are directly associated in individuals with PD, is u...

Background: The most extensively used instrument to measure dissociation is the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES). Recently, an extended version of this instrument was provided, which also measures somatoform symptoms of dissociation. The aim of this study was to examine the component structure and internal consistency of the extended version of...

Several types of psychological treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are considered well established and effective, but evidence of their long-term efficacy is limited. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the long-term outcomes across psychological treatments for PTSD. MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, PTSDpubs, Psyc...

Background: This study aimed to assess the factorial validity and reliability of the Pandemic Stressor Scale (PaSS), a new measure to assess the severity of distress for different stressors relevant during a pandemic or epidemic. Methods: The PaSS was administered in N = 2760 German participants. Exploratory factor analysis was used to extract fact...

Background Syrians have been the largest group of refugees in Germany since 2014. Little is known about Syrian refugees` perspectives on substance use. The aim of this study is to investigate the perspective of male refugees from Syria and to foster specific knowledge and understanding of substance use. Methods We applied a qualitative study desig...

Background: This study aimed to assess the factorial validity and reliability of the Pandemic Coping Scale, a new brief measure of coping behavior in response to the stressors of a pandemic. Methods: The scale was administered to N = 2,316 German participants during the COVID-19 pandemic. An exploratory and a confirmatory factor analysis were appli...

Background Research has described subtypes with more internalizing and more externalizing symptoms in samples of patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and samples of patients with substance use disorders (SUD). Objective This study sought to examine the respective subtypes in female PTSD-SUD patients and potential relationships with...

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed life in Europe and globally. The pandemic affects both individuals and the broader society across many domains, including physical and psychological health, the economy and general welfare. The measures taken to counteract the pandemic have significantly altered daily life and, along with the threat of contracting...