Thomas Elbert
Biographic Data
| ID | 795051 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Thomas Elbert |
| GIVEN NAMES | Thomas |
| FAMILY NAME | Elbert |
| SIGNATURE | ELBERT T |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Konstanz |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-1332-4939 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 42 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 51 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 42 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1994 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
The impact of childhood maltreatment on treatment outcomes for posttraumatic stress symptoms and aggression in male former combatants using narrative exposure therapy [NET] - results from a RCT in Eas…
CSA among former soldiers was significantly associated with a higher prevalence of PTSD and increased risk of both sexual revictimization and the perpetration of sexual and other violent acts. FORNET demonstrates effectiveness in reducing appetitive aggression, PTSD symptoms, and violent behavior even in the subgroup highly affected by CSA - showing an even greater impact on current violent behavior. The ability of NET to address trauma and perpe…
The role of oxytocin receptor gene variants in appetitive aggression
Chronic exposure to trauma and violence can promote aggressive behavior. Oxytocin and variants in the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene may play a role in the etiology of proactive, that is, goal‐oriented instrumental aggression, or reactive aggression, which typically occurs in response to emotionally triggering situations. The current study builds on previous findings that experienced and witnessed trauma in childhood predicts higher levels of appe…
To add insult to injury
Rape myths acceptance in the community is associated with stigma and trauma-related mental illness of sexual violence survivors. This adds up to the psychic burden of trauma
Trauma, Aggression, and Post Conflict Perpetration of Community Violence in Female Former Child Soldiers—A Study in Eastern DR Congo
Trauma exposure predicts ongoing perpetration of violence post conflict via the resulting mental health problems. The findings imply that if PTSD and appetitive aggression symptoms are successfully treated, ongoing violent behaviour in the community post conflict will also decrease
The cycle of violence as a function of PTSD and appetitive aggression
During deployment, soldiers face situations in which they are not only exposed to violence but also have to perpetrate it themselves. This study investigates the role of soldiers' levels of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and appetitive aggression, that is, a lust for violence, for their engaging in violence during deployment. Furthermore, factors during deployment influencing the level of PTSD symptoms and appetitive aggression aft…
A combination of combat experience, early abduction, and severe traumatization fuels appetitive aggression and violence among abductees of rebel war in Northern Uganda
Individuals who perpetrate violence may likely perceive violence as appealing and infliction of violence to derive pleasure is termed as appetitive aggression . Individuals who were abducted as children into an armed group often experience a higher number of traumatic event types, that is traumatic load and are usually socialized in a violence‐endorsing environment. This study aims to investigate the interaction between age at initial abduction w…
Exposure to family and organized violence and associated mental health in north Korean refugee youth compared to south Korean youth
The findings suggest that in a context of organized violence, abusive experiences by family members constitute an important problem that is strongly linked to the psychopathology of adolescents. Our data suggest that psychological treatment and prevention approaches for North Korean refugees should be carefully tailored to fit the specific requirements of this population and address the mental health of the individual as well as potential problem…
The Contribution of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Depression to Insomnia in North Korean Refugee Youth
Refugees are exposed to multiple traumatic and stressful events and thereby are at higher risk for developing a variety of psychological sequelae including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, the relation of PTSD to other mental health conditions has not been fully revealed in refugee populations. The present study investigated relationships among trauma exposure, PTSD, depression, and insomnia in North Korean refugee youth. Seventy-fo…
Stigmatization Is Associated With Increased PTSD Risk After Traumatic Stress and Diminished Likelihood of Spontaneous Remission–A Study With East-African Conflict Survivors
Studies in conflict population have repeatedly documented that the number of traumatic event types experienced (trauma load) increases the risk to develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in a dose-dependent manner. Misconceptions about survivors' experiences and actions during the war, as well as mental health symptoms frequently lead to stigmatization by their own families and the community, which might render them even more vulnerable for …
Course of Mental Health in Refugees—A One Year Panel Survey
Background: Cross-sectional studies indicate that a substantial proportion of refugees have psychiatric disorders. However, longitudinal studies on the course of psychiatric symptoms and on influencing factors are scarce. The current study investigates the development of symptoms in an untreated refugee sample in Germany and seeks to identify potential predictors. Methods: Over the course of 1 year, 57 refugees participated in monthly assisted se…
Still not one people
Predicting domestic and community violence by soldiers living in a conflict region
Besides war-related mental ill-health and appetitive aggression, violent experiences during childhood development must not be overlooked as a factor fueling the cycle of violence in conflict regions. (PsycINFO Database Record
The role of intrinsic and extrinsic rewards in committing violence during combat
It has been postulated that the violent behavior that characterizes armed conflict is reinforced by the possibility of receiving rewards. The present study examined the potential influence of two types of rewards in an ongoing setting of conflict: extrinsic and intrinsic rewards. Former combatants active in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (N = 198) were interviewed and questioned about the way they were recruited, the offenses they committed…
Exome sequencing of healthy phenotypic extremes links TROVE2 to emotional memory and PTSD
Relations between traumatic stress, dimensions of impulsivity, and reactive and appetitive aggression in individuals with refugee status
Fear-driven response to perceived threat based on inadequate cognitive appraisal is assumed to cause pathological reactive aggression, whereas excessive appetitive aggression can be explained by repeated experiences of thrill and excitement during violent acts. Prevention of early traumatic stress and adversities seems key to breaking the cycle of violence. (PsycINFO Database Record
Feasibility and effectiveness of narrative exposure therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy in a context of ongoing violence in South Africa
The study shows that trauma-focused treatment can reduce the psychological symptoms of posttraumatic stress even for individuals living under unsafe conditions in low-income urban communities. However, achieving changes in violent behavior within a context of ongoing violence may require more than the treatment of trauma-related suffering, confrontation with one's offenses, or cognitive-behavioral interventions. (PsycINFO Database Record
Torture and its Consequences, Psychology of
Sensitive Periods for Developing a Robust Trait of Appetitive Aggression
Violent behavior can be intrinsically rewarding; especially combatants fighting in current civil wars present with elevated traits of appetitive aggression. The majority of these fighters were recruited as children or adolescents. In the present study, we test whether there is a developmental period where combatants are sensitive for developing a robust trait of appetitive aggression. We investigated 95 combatants in their demobilization process …
From War to Classroom
Therefore, it is suggested the school context should be used to provide mental-health support structures within the education system for war-affected youth at likely risk of developing war-related mental distress
Appetitive aggression and its relation to posttraumatic stress in Burundian ex-combatants
Maltreatment and Mental Health in Institutional Care—comparing Early and Late Institutionalized Children in Tanzania
Research has shown the harmful potential of institutional care on young children; however, little is known about the consequences of institutional care on infants in Sub‐Saharan Africa. We compared 35 Tanzanian children who were institutionalized at birth to 4 years of age with a matched group of 35 children who were institutionalized at 5 to 14 years of age. We examined adverse childhood experiences over the course of their entire lives, in thei…
Relations among appetitive aggression, post-traumatic stress and motives for demobilization
The influence of combat experience on traumatization, as well as the motivation for demobilization, differs remarkably between those combatants who demobilized individually and those who were members of a group that was forced to demobilize. This has important implications for the implementation of re-integration programmes and therapeutic interventions
Rwanda – lasting imprints of a genocide
Our study demonstrated particular long-term consequences of massive organized violence, such as war and genocide, on mental health and psychosocial conditions. Differences between families of survivors and families of former prisoners accused for participation in the Rwandan genocide are reflected in the mental health of the next generation
Analyzing the microfoundations of human violence in the DRC - intrinsic and extrinsic rewards and the prediction of appetitive aggression
We conclude that receiving rewards influence the level of appetitive aggression. However, which type of rewards (intrinsic versus extrinsic) is of most importance is determined by the way combatants are recruited
Appetitive aggression and adaptation to a violent environment among youth offenders
Previous research has demonstrated that those who perpetrate violence and report aggression to be appetitive are less vulnerable to developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The current study examined the hypothesis that, among youth offenders living in a high-violence community, an attraction to violence is associated with improved psychosocial functioning and less concern about future threats. A sample of 69 male youth offenders living i…
Ten years after the genocide
A decade after the 1994 Rwandan genocide, we interviewed a total of 68 Rwandan orphans about their war experiences and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. The two samples comprised youth living either in a child-headed household (CHH) or in an orphanage. All had been exposed to extreme levels of violence and 41% had witnessed the murder of their own mother or father. Of the sample, 44% had PTSD. PTSD vulnerability was greater for youth…
Haunted by ghosts
Maltreatment and Mental Health in Institutional Care—comparing Early and Late Institutionalized Children in Tanzania
Research has shown the harmful potential of institutional care on young children; however, little is known about the consequences of institutional care on infants in Sub‐Saharan Africa. We compared 35 Tanzanian children who were institutionalized at birth to 4 years of age with a matched group of 35 children who were institutionalized at 5 to 14 years of age. We examined adverse childhood experiences over the course of their entire lives, in thei…
Appetitive aggression and adaptation to a violent environment among youth offenders
Previous research has demonstrated that those who perpetrate violence and report aggression to be appetitive are less vulnerable to developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The current study examined the hypothesis that, among youth offenders living in a high-violence community, an attraction to violence is associated with improved psychosocial functioning and less concern about future threats. A sample of 69 male youth offenders living i…
Associations Between Prolonged Grief Disorder, Depression, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, and Anxiety in Rwandan Genocide Survivors
A number of studies have demonstrated that symptoms of prolonged grief disorder (PGD) represent a symptom cluster distinct from bereavement-related depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The aim of the present study was to confirm and extend these findings using the most recent criteria defining PGD. The authors interviewed a total of 400 orphaned or widowed survivors of the Rwandan genocide. The syndromes were strongly li…
Testing the determinism of EEG and MEG
Appetitive aggression and its relation to posttraumatic stress in Burundian ex-combatants
Use of khat and posttraumatic stress disorder as risk factors for psychotic symptoms
Testing the determinism of EEG and MEG
A Comparison of Narrative Exposure Therapy, Supportive Counseling, and Psychoeducation for Treating Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in an African Refugee Settlement.
Little is known about the usefulness of psychotherapeutic approaches for traumatized refugees who continue to live in dangerous conditions. Narrative exposure therapy (NET) is a short-term approach based on cognitive-behavioral therapy and testimony therapy. The efficacy of narrative exposure therapy was evaluated in a randomized controlled trial. Sudanese refugees living in a Ugandan refugee settlement (N = 43) who were diagnosed as suffering fr…
Psychological trauma and evidence for enhanced vulnerability for posttraumatic stress disorder through previous trauma among West Nile refugees
Ten years after the genocide
A decade after the 1994 Rwandan genocide, we interviewed a total of 68 Rwandan orphans about their war experiences and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. The two samples comprised youth living either in a child-headed household (CHH) or in an orphanage. All had been exposed to extreme levels of violence and 41% had witnessed the murder of their own mother or father. Of the sample, 44% had PTSD. PTSD vulnerability was greater for youth…
Screening for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder among Somali ex-combatants
The results provide evidence that our screening instrument is a reliable and valid method to detect PTSD among Somali ex-combatants. A future Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Program in Somalia is recommended to screen for PTSD in order to identify ex-combatants with special psycho-social needs
Mental health of returnees
BACKGROUND: Many refugees live for years in exile. The combination of stress in the host country, together with long-term effects resulting from traumatic stress usually experienced in the home country may affect mental health. Little is known, to what extent these and other factors promote or stall the willingness to return to the country of origin. Here, we investigate, as an example, refugees who will return to their country of origin after ha…
Trauma, poverty and mental health among Somali and Rwandese refugees living in an African refugee settlement – an epidemiological study
Mental health consequences of conflict remain long after the events are over, and therefore mental health intervention is as urgent for post-conflict migrant populations as physical health and other emergency interventions. A mental health outreach program was initiated based on this study
Prolonged Grief Disorder and Depression in Widows Due to the Rwandan Genocide
Should pathological grief be viewed as a nosological category, separate from other forms of mental diseases? Diagnostic criteria for "Prolonged Grief Disorder" (PGD) have recently been specified by Prigerson and her coworkers. We interviewed a total of 40 widows who had lost their husbands during the Rwandan genocide in 1994. We assessed Major Depression using the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.) and prolonged grief reacti…
Use of khat and posttraumatic stress disorder as risk factors for psychotic symptoms
Spontaneous remission from PTSD depends on the number of traumatic event types experienced
As exposure to different types of traumatic stressors increases, the prevalence of PTSD increases. However, little is known about the effects of cumulative exposure to traumatic stress on the maintenance and remission from PTSD. In 2006/2007, we investigated 444 refugees from the 1994 Rwandan genocide, assessing exposure to traumatic events, current and lifetime PTSD, and PTSD symptom severity. Higher trauma exposure was associated with higher pr…
The stimulant khat—Another door in the wall? A call for overcoming the barriers
Validation of a Mental Health Assessment in an African Conflict Population
We studied the validity of the assessment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression within the context of an epidemiological mental health survey among war-affected adolescents and young adults in northern Uganda. Local language versions of the Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale (PDS) and the Depression section of the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (DHSCL) were administered by trained local interviewers. Correlations with probable predictor v…
PTSD, depression and anxiety among former abductees in Northern Uganda
Former abductees continue to suffer from severe mental ill-health. Adaptation to the living condition of rebels, however, may lower trauma-related mental suffering
Internet-based Self-Assessment after the Tsunami
ONSET was used by a large number of subjects who thought to be affected by the catastrophe in order to help them decide if they needed to see a mental health professional. Furthermore, men more frequently accessed the instrument than women, indicating that Internet-based testing facilitates reaching out to a different group of people than "ordinary" public mental health strategies
Associations Between Prolonged Grief Disorder, Depression, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, and Anxiety in Rwandan Genocide Survivors
A number of studies have demonstrated that symptoms of prolonged grief disorder (PGD) represent a symptom cluster distinct from bereavement-related depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The aim of the present study was to confirm and extend these findings using the most recent criteria defining PGD. The authors interviewed a total of 400 orphaned or widowed survivors of the Rwandan genocide. The syndromes were strongly li…
Haunted by ghosts
Relations among appetitive aggression, post-traumatic stress and motives for demobilization
The influence of combat experience on traumatization, as well as the motivation for demobilization, differs remarkably between those combatants who demobilized individually and those who were members of a group that was forced to demobilize. This has important implications for the implementation of re-integration programmes and therapeutic interventions
Rwanda – lasting imprints of a genocide
Our study demonstrated particular long-term consequences of massive organized violence, such as war and genocide, on mental health and psychosocial conditions. Differences between families of survivors and families of former prisoners accused for participation in the Rwandan genocide are reflected in the mental health of the next generation
Analyzing the microfoundations of human violence in the DRC - intrinsic and extrinsic rewards and the prediction of appetitive aggression
We conclude that receiving rewards influence the level of appetitive aggression. However, which type of rewards (intrinsic versus extrinsic) is of most importance is determined by the way combatants are recruited
Appetitive aggression and adaptation to a violent environment among youth offenders
Previous research has demonstrated that those who perpetrate violence and report aggression to be appetitive are less vulnerable to developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The current study examined the hypothesis that, among youth offenders living in a high-violence community, an attraction to violence is associated with improved psychosocial functioning and less concern about future threats. A sample of 69 male youth offenders living i…
Prolonged Grief Disorder and Depression in a German Community Sample
The aims of this study were to examine rates and risk factors for prolonged grief and to investigate the association between prolonged grief and depression. The authors interviewed a heterogeneous bereaved sample of 61 Germans, 6 of whom had prolonged grief and depression, respectively. The 2 syndromes were strongly linked to one another. Risk factors for prolonged grief were being a woman and having high levels of religious beliefs and low level…
Maltreatment and Mental Health in Institutional Care—comparing Early and Late Institutionalized Children in Tanzania
Research has shown the harmful potential of institutional care on young children; however, little is known about the consequences of institutional care on infants in Sub‐Saharan Africa. We compared 35 Tanzanian children who were institutionalized at birth to 4 years of age with a matched group of 35 children who were institutionalized at 5 to 14 years of age. We examined adverse childhood experiences over the course of their entire lives, in thei…
Torture and its Consequences, Psychology of
Sensitive Periods for Developing a Robust Trait of Appetitive Aggression
Violent behavior can be intrinsically rewarding; especially combatants fighting in current civil wars present with elevated traits of appetitive aggression. The majority of these fighters were recruited as children or adolescents. In the present study, we test whether there is a developmental period where combatants are sensitive for developing a robust trait of appetitive aggression. We investigated 95 combatants in their demobilization process …
From War to Classroom
Therefore, it is suggested the school context should be used to provide mental-health support structures within the education system for war-affected youth at likely risk of developing war-related mental distress
Psychology (37 works) · Medicine (29 works) · Clinical Psychology (28 works) · Psychiatry (27 works) · Migration, Health and Trauma (26 works) · Clinical Psychology (25 works) · Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research (22 works) · Aggression (13 works) · Mental health (13 works) · Child Abuse and Trauma (12 works)