Robert W Motta

• PhD
• Project Manager at Hofstra University

Diagnosis of PTSD. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) refers to long running disturbances in emotion, cognition, and behavior owing to having encountered frightening, disruptive, and often life-threatening experiences. These traumatic experiences are relived in such a way that the past, even a past that took place decades ago, is ever present. Co...

The “contagious” nature of trauma is discussed as it applies to professional caregivers such as psychotherapists, physicians, nurses, and others. Vicarious traumatization is described as occurring among psychotherapists who deal with patients who have experienced some form of primary trauma or PTSD. The medical field is also a source of secondary t...

Mindfulness meditation is effective in reducing symptoms related to burnout or secondary traumatization and increasing one’s perception of satisfaction in doing caregiver work which is also referred to as compassion satisfaction. Although mindfulness meditation has become increasingly popular in a variety of social and work-related contexts, it is...

The final chapter presents an overall summary of the main points. Secondary trauma is presented as an entity that, contrary to the views of some, is distinct from PTSD. As a result, secondary trauma calls for interventions that are often unlike the individual therapies used for PTSD. The evolutionary survival value of secondary trauma is presented....

Describes the role of caring for an ill family member as a source of secondary trauma. Depression, anxiety, emotional exhaustion, physical depletion, financial worries, and physical debilitation are all consequences of extensive emotional support of ill members. A case is presented in detail involving the development of autoimmune encephalitis foll...

In Sanskrit, the term yoga is translated as “union” or “connection.” Yoga is said to unite body and mind and to be of value in alleviating psychological distress. It has been practiced for approximately 5000 years, and it has been estimated that about 16 million people practice it regularly. The various styles of yoga typically combine physical pos...

This chapter disputes the common view that secondary trauma is nearly identical to PTSD and therefore requires interventions typically used to treat that disorder. Emphasis is placed upon a detailed examination of the symptoms and behaviors seen in each disorder. PTSD is presented as a self-altering fear reaction, whereas secondary trauma is shown...

This chapter traces the development of the capacity for secondary trauma responding and its evolutionary utility. It is shown that other species clearly display a capacity for empathic responding. An examination of the when and under what conditions empathic responding is shown in humans is presented. Detailed descriptions of secondary trauma or em...

There is considerable empirical research showing that physical exercise can lessen a whole range of psychological difficulties including depression, anxiety, and PTSD while enhancing perceptions of self-efficacy, improving concentration, enhancing memory, and improving one’s self-esteem. Regarding secondary trauma, regular aerobic and anaerobic exe...

Despite its ubiquity and impact, secondary trauma as a diagnostic entity cannot be found in the current DSM. Cases are described of childhood secondary trauma involving the role of loss. These losses are primarily the loss of support from adult caretakers. The role of loss among children under 5 years of age and that of older children, is presented...

There are several groups in addition to family members and care providers such as psychotherapists and medical personnel that can experience secondary traumatization. One such group is that of first responders which can include, but is not limited to, police officers, firefighters, EMTs, disaster relief workers, pararescue personnel, and suicide ho...

This chapter highlights two forms of intervention that are applicable to secondary trauma, and neither of them is like the individual therapy interventions that one might see in the treatment of PTSD. PTSD interventions that often fall within the CBT domain are administered by trained professionals. Self-care and immersion in natural environments c...

The presence of animals can be beneficial in managing secondary trauma. Animals can serve to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression and encourage exercise and playfulness while providing unconditional love and affection. Humans have kept pets for the purpose of stress reduction throughout history. Archaeologists have uncovered the remains of a pupp...

There is overwhelming evidence that social support can be effective in ameliorating the negative impact of stress including that which arises from trauma reactions including secondary traumatization. It is likely that the company of others has had evolutionary survival value, and for this reason it continues to serve as a buffer to trauma-induced s...

This chapter presents a “real-world” case of extreme panic disorder and details the treatments that were brought to bear in efforts to reduce the panic. Unlike most cases of panic which appear to arise unpredictably and from unknown causes and last for a short amount of time, this one was attributed to an underlying neurological condition and many...

The current study investigated variables associated with secondary traumatization in mental health professionals. Participants included 88 psychologists, social workers, mental health counselors, and creative arts therapists. These participants completed the modified Stroop procedure, which is an objective measure of secondary trauma. They also com...

Trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in children and adolescents refer to reactions to extremely frightening and threatening events. For those who are interested in learning about PTSD and those subclinical trauma reactions referred to as acute stress disorders, there is often a tendency to go to the latest version of the Diagnostic and...

This study investigated whether grandchildren of Holocaust survivors placed in concentration camps were more prone to PTSD symptoms than grandchildren of Jewish non-immigrants (native-born) and grandchildren of Non-Jewish immigrants. It has been well established that PTSD symptoms can be transmitted from Holocaust survivor parents to their children...

Nightmares are one of the most troubling features of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), yet imagery rehearsal training (IRT) is currently the only empirically supported treatment for posttraumatic nightmares. Although IRT is effective, it is unknown whether IRT or the exposure, which is inherent in this procedure, causes the decrease in nightmar...

The authors review the role of physical exercise in reducing childhood and adolescent posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression. A good deal of the existing research on the influence of exercise in reducing negative emotional states and enhancing perceptions of self-efficacy has been conducted with adult samples. Comparatively few empi...

A review of childhood secondary trauma is presented. Secondary trauma involves the transfer and acquisition of negative affective and dysfunctional cognitive states due to prolonged and extended contact with others, such as family members, who have been traumatized. As such, secondary trauma refers to a spread of trauma reactions from the victim to...

This study is a preliminary investigation that analyzed whether or not the Emotional Stroop procedure would be able to detect the changes in PTSD levels of individuals as they undergo treatment for that disorder. This repeated measures, small n study utilized 8 in-patient adolescent females with a history of sexual abuse and an Axis I diagnosis of...

In this study, the relationship between parental mental illness with and without comorbid traumatic symptoms, and secondary trauma in children was explored. There were three groups of parent-child dyads (N = 106). Group I included parents with mental illness and comorbid traumatization, and their children. Group II included parents with mental illn...

A review of secondary trauma is presented. Secondary trauma involves the transfer and acquisition of negative affective and dysfunctional cognitive states due to prolonged and extended contact with others, such as family members, who have been traumatized. As such, secondary trauma refers to a spread of trauma from the victim to those who have clos...

The purpose of the study was to investigate the impact of aerobic exercise on the severity of symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety. Twelve institutionalized female adolescents completed a 15-session aerobic exercise program consisting of moderate-intensity walking. All participants completed the Child PTSD Sympt...

Research, commentary, and interpretive procedures reflecting varied perspectives on figure drawings are presented in order to suggest contemporary practice models for school psychologists. The review of the extensive literature includes measures with scoring systems that are normed and those systems that rely on clinical traditions for interpretati...

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of aerobic exercise on childhood PTSD, depression, and anxiety. Fifteen participants, ages 14 to 17, who met DSM-IV Criteria for PTSD were recruited from an all female residential treatment center Participants engaged in an aerobic exercise program for 40 minutes, three times per week,...

This preliminary study assessed the impact of a 12-session aerobic exercise program on symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression. Overall results show no symptom reduction during baseline phases but significant reductions in PTSD, anxiety, and depression following the exercise intervention. Reductions were maintained...

This study systematically investigates the relationship between intensity of Vietnam combat exposure and the transfer of trauma symptoms to adult children of veterans. Forty male combat veterans who comprised high and low combat intensity groups were administered a series of measures designed to assess PTSD, depression, anxiety, intrusive thoughts,...

This study systematically investigates the relationship between intensity of Vietnam combat exposure and the transfer of trauma symptoms to adult children of veterans. Forty male combat veterans who comprised high and low combat intensity groups were administered a series of measures designed to assess PTSD, depression, anxiety, intrusive thoughts,...

A total of 125 registered nurses participated in an investigation of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) related symptoms and various levels of nursing care. The sample included 43 emergency room nurses (ER), 51 intensive care unit nurses (ICU), and 31 general floor nurses (GF). All participants were assessed on measures of PTSD, social support, d...

This study reports on the continued development of the Secondary Trauma Scale (STS) and the establishment of cutoff scores. Cutoff scores are unavailable for existing secondary trauma scales. Participants were 118 young adult volunteers who reported having had close and continued exposure to a person or persons who had been traumatized. Sub-samples...

Previous research has documented that women are more susceptible to developing posttraumatic stress disorder than men. This study examines the relationships between gender, ruminative coping, traditional gender role characteristics, trauma-related cognitions, and posttraumatic stress symptoms. Participants were 123 victims of the September 11, 2001...

The current study represents the continuing development of a scale for assessing secondary trauma. Secondary trauma refers to the acquisition of negative emotional states due to ongoing and close exposure to a person who has been traumatized. The sample of 114 college-age males and females (mean age 18.74 yrs) was administered the Modified Secondar...

This study investigated whether PTSD was present in a sample of women with breast cancer. Thirty-one women who were diagnosed with breast cancer were compared with 31 women who were cancer free. PTSD symptomology was assessed with the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale-form 1, the Impact of Events Scale, and the emotional Stroop. Depression and anxi...

Many measures exist to evaluate posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but there are few ways of assessing secondary traumatic stress disorder and these are limited to specific populations. Secondary traumatic stress disorder involves the transfer of trauma symptoms from those who have been traumatized to those who have close and extended contact wi...

Considerable debate exists regarding the possible relationship between child abuse and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In this study, 3 groups of foster care children were compared. The groups included 50 sexually abused, 50 physically abused, and 50 nonabused foster care children. Participants completed the Child Post-Traumatic Stress Reacti...

Considerable debate exists regarding the possible relationship between child abuse and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In this study, 3 groups of foster care children were compared. The groups included 50 sexually abused, 50 physically abused, and 50 nonabused foster care children. Participants completed the Child Post-Traumatic Stress Reacti...

This preliminary study investigated the effectiveness of anxiety management training (AMT), a coping skills treatment similar to systematic desensitization, in comparison to implosive therapy (IT), an exposure-based treatment, for treating six Vietnam combat veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The Clinician Administered PTSD Intervi...

Intergenerational transmission of war experiences was assessed using a modified Stroop task. Adult children of war veterans and those of nonveterans named the colors in which war related words were printed. They also named the colors of neutral, positive, and OCD related words in addition to color naming a series of zeros contained on a control car...

This chapter provides comprehensive information regarding pica, the disorder of habitually eating nonnutritive substances for a period of at least 1 month. Intended as a reference tool, discussion is geared toward school-based professionals delivering educational and health-related services to child and adolescent populations with this disorder. Sp...

To investigate the respective roles of Th1 and Th2 cells in the pathogenesis of lupus-like autoimmune disease, we have analyzed the spontaneous and antigen-induced productions of IgG1 vs IgG2a and IgG3 subclasses in relation to the mRNA expression of INF-gamma (Th1 cytokine promoting IgG2a and IgG3 production), IL-4 (Th2 cytokine promoting IgG1 pro...

There has been a growing research and clinical interest in children who meet the criteria for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). An increase in family violence, violence in schools, and a variety of other stressors is suspected of leading to the characteristic PTSD symptoms of reexperiencing the trauma, psychological numbing, and increased state...

We created fully and stable xenogeneic hematopoietic chimeras in "poorly concordant" rat-mouse strain combinations defined by their high histocompatibility-antigen disparity and by the high titer of mouse-serum natural cytotoxic antibodies (NcAb) to rat donor bone marrow cells (BMC). Recipients were adult male (C57BL/6 x DBA/2)F1 (BDF1) mice, and d...

This study evaluated the effects of antecedent physical exercise (AE) and a mastery task on behaviorally disturbed children's self-concepts and rates of disruptive behaviors. In addition, we evaluated whether changes in self-concept mediated any exercise induced changes in rates of disruptive behavior. Fifty-eight children were randomly assigned to...

This study empirically investigated the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and combat level on Vietnam veterans' perceptions of their children's behavior, as well as its effects on their marital adjustment. Results indicated that the predictor variables of PTSD and combat level together explained 33.6% of the variance in perceived chi...

Scores on an emotional Stroop task discriminated secondary traumatization effects in 9 adult children of veterans while standard trauma measures did not.

beta-CCM is a beta-carboline known to have properties opposite to those of benzodiazepines. Our approach was to analyze, in mice, the genetic mechanisms involved in beta-CCM-induced myoclonic seizures using recombinant congenic strains and F1 hybrids issued from these strains. Our aim was to define the extent of the multigenic character of beta-CCM...

There has been growing research and clinical interest in children who meet the criteria for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). A rise in family violence, violence within schools, and a variety of other stressors are suspected of leading to the characteristic PTSD symptoms of reexperiencing the trauma, psychological numbing, and increased states...

The effects of contingent positive and negative reinforcement on adaptive behavior and mood were examined in a sample of 36 chronic, psychiatric outpatients. Group 1 received contingent positive token reinforcement to improve daily living skills, group 2 received a negative reinforcement procedure based on removal of free-tokens, and group 3 was a...

Reviews data-based studies on human figure drawings and concludes that there is little support for their validity or for their use as devices to assess personality, behavior, emotion, or intellectual functioning. Ease of administration and anecdotal reports of predictive accuracy are presented as explanations for their continued usage. Existing val...

There are a wide range of psychotherapeutic treatments for Vietnam-related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. This paper reviews some of the more commonly used interventions which are the behavioral, psychodynamic, family, and group therapies. Commonalities among these diverse treatments are shown to involve reconfronting trauma stimuli and the attempt...

The effects of contingent positive and negative reinforcement on adaptive behavior and mood were examined in a sample of 36 chronic, psychiatric outpatients. Group 1 received contingent positive token reinforcement to improve daily living skills, group 2 received a negative reinforcement procedure based on removal of free‐tokens, and group 3 was a...

The autosomal recessive mutant gene, lpr, has been shown to accelerate the progression of lupus-like autoimmune disease, which is associated with a massive expansion of a unique CD4-CD8- double-negative T cell subset, in MRL/MpJ mice. Here we report a substrain of MRL/MpJ-lpr/lpr (MRL-lpr) mice which live almost twice as long with delayed developme...

This study examined the validity of PTSD by comparing the dysfunctional cognitions found in a PTSD group, a clinical group (anxiety or depression), and a nonclinical group. Subjects completed the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-II, the Impact of Event Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Cognitive Error...

A set of 36 recombinant congenic mouse strains, resulting from crosses between B10.D2 and DBA/2, was created. During the backcross phase, animals were selected for their sensitivity to the graft-versus-host reaction induced by a B10.D2 hematopoietic cell transplant after irradiation. The progress of inbreeding was followed throughout the brother x...

Responds to comments by J. A. Naglieri, A. N. Bardos, F. M. Gresham, R. W. Kamphaus and K. L. Pleiss, W. H. Holtzman, and H. M. Knoff (see PA, Vol 81:4010, 3988, 3995, 4000, 3997, and 4001, respectively) regarding R. W. Motta et al's (see record 1994-04005-001) article on the use of human figure drawings in psychological assessments. Evidence for...

The relative importance of the technique versus the relationship in child behavior therapy was investigated. Parents of 47 children who were receiving behavior therapy rated the importance of these variables and how they were related to therapeutic outcome. Overall findings were that the relationship was rated as significantly more important than s...

The effects of aerobic and nonaerobic exercise on depression and self-concept were investigated in a pretest-posttest control group design. 89 undergraduates engaged in the aerobic exercise of swimming, the nonaerobic exercise of weight training, or a control, Introductory Psychology class. Dependent measures were the Beck Depression Inventory, Dep...

This study examined the relative influence on children's self-esteem of academic achievement, maternal self-esteem, maternal acceptance, and children's perception of their parents' acceptance of them. Subjects were students with learning disabilities in a self-contained class (n=31), similarly diagnosed students in resource room (n=35), students in...

The effects of aerobic and nonaerobic exercise on depression and self-concept were investigated in a pretest-posttest control group design. 89 undergraduates engaged in the aerobic exercise of swimming, the nonaerobic exercise of weight training, or a control, Introductory Psychology class. Dependent measures were the Beck Depression Inventory, Dep...

Characteristics of 107 Vietnam veterans with and without Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), who had been exposed to varying levels of combat, were compared. Severity of psychopathology as assessed on the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, locus of control orientation as measured by the Nowicki-Strickland Internal-External Control Scale, and abil...

The parents of 56 children who had received behavior therapy rated a number of variables, including the degree to which they viewed the therapeutic relationship versus the specific techniques used in treatment as important, the extent to which the child improved in therapy, and the child's present functioning. Therapists also provided ratings of cl...

We investigated the self-concepts of Tourette Syndrome patients and their mothers. The subjects were 30 children with Tourette Syndrome and their mothers, and 30 children matched on age, sex, and socioeconomic status and their mothers. The results indicated that, while the children did not differ on self-concept, the mothers of the Tourette Syndrom...

The present study attempted to develop a quantitative model using the WISC-R that could be used to predict those students most likely to be successful in gifted education programs. The study was conducted in two phases using two groups of gifted children. In phase one, 120 elementary students randomly chosen from a pullout program in a suburban sch...

The doctoral program in School-Community Psychology at Hofstra University was designed to permit master's-level psychologists to enter a doctoral training program without giving up their full-time employment. Classes within the program take place on Saturdays, evenings and during the summer. This program helps to address the problem of the two-tier...

We investigated the predictive value of family reaction and illness severity with respect to the emotional adjustment of Tourette's syndrome patients. The subjects included 30 children with Tourette's syndrome and 30 control subjects matched on age, sex, race, and socioeconomic status. The predictor variables included the child's perception of pare...

Despite the varied positions held by 234 psychologists who responded to a questionnaire, the scientific aspects of psychology as represented by research and publication are considered to be the criteria of the most successful psychologists. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)

Despite the varied positions held by 234 psychologists who responded to a questionnaire, the scientific aspects of psychology as represented by research and publication are considered to be the criteria of the most successful psychologists.

A therapist's expertness, trustworthiness, empathy, and attractiveness were evaluated by 300 subjects after viewing a 5-min. videotape of a therapist-client interaction. Therapist's level of self-disclosure and formality were the independent variables. Ratings of trustworthiness were highest when the therapist was informal. Therapist's high disclos...

Psychological evaluation is an attempt to arrive at an understanding of the unique potential of an individual through the use of background information, a psychological interview, observation, and psychological testing. The object of gathering this material is to integrate it so that it will provide an explanation of current behavior, a prediction...

Two surveys were conducted which were related to the experience and training of the family practitioner of psychotherapy. Survey results from Hofstra University's Clinic revealed that a significant number of the clients were family members who were referred over time. Approximately 75 percent of these family referrals occurred within the first year...

In our model of GVHR, irradiated (DBA/2 X B10.D2)F1 mice were given splenic and bone marrow cells from B10.D2 donor mice. At different set times after the graft, recipient mice were given a single injection of a radioactive precursor of DNA (125IUdR) and killed one hour later. The radioactivity in excised organs reflected the label incorporation by...

Since [3H]thymidine ([3H]TdR) and [125I]iododeoxyuridine ([125I]UdR) appear to label very different cell populations in different tissues, we carried out the present investigation to determine the value and limitations of the use of [125I]UdR as a DNA precursor in a study of grafted cell proliferation during the course of a graft-versus-host reacti...

Black and white students (N = 186) in the 10th through 12th grades were given measures of alienation and social adjustment. Third-order partial correlations were computed. Alienation scores correlated negatively with grade point averages and positively with some measures of behavioral maladjustment. There were negative correlations between alienati...

The use of contracts in psychotherapy is presented as a way of helping to address questions regarding the ‘cost effectiveness’ of psychotherapy. Contracts are also shown to be of value in protecting the client, increasing therapist's accountability, and enhancing the researcher's capability of conducting investigations on the effectiveness of thera...

The course of development of graft-versus-host reactions (GVHR) following lethal irradiation was compared in two mouse donor-host combinations disparate at non H-2 loci alone or associated to H-2 complex. The pathogenesis of these reactions was very different (mortality rates faster in the second situation for example). The donor cell proliferation...

Five studies were conducted which indicated that young children show a high degree of inconsistency of response from test to retest. The first three studies included one in which the same concepts were measured on two different forms of a test of basic concepts given one day apart—one in which the same test was given prior to and following a 3-mont...

The variables of sex, frequency of wetting, a family history of enuresis, and use of positive reinforcement were examined to determine if they were significantly related to response to the bell-and-pad procedure. Dependent measures were number of days required to achieve dryness and frequency of wetting in a 1-yr. follow-up. Among the findings was...

The present study extended the research on perceptions of justice to the adolescent population and examined the extent to which locus of control, rationality of thought, and age were related to these perceptions. Data were obtained from 166 students in grades 7–10. Adolescents tended to perceive the world as moderately unjust and this outlook remai...

independence, the present study investigated the impact of this emphasis on teacher perceptions of student behavior. Teachers rated 80Supper-middle and lower SES students on 32 behaviors, many of which have traditionally been considered sex-differentiating. Response data were factor analyzed and the four major factors were labeled Creativity, Aggre...

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Hofstra University.