From the Editor The Problem of Trauma July 2015. Trauma is universal and takes many forms—from devastating natural disasters such as the earthquake in Nepal, to the tragic consequences of man-made terrorist attacks. Combat zones persist in many parts of the world, where lives are shattered daily, and in all parts of the world personal assault and abuse can be found. It’s hard to think of a higher or more urgent priority, and we recently held a 1-day symposium in Houston, with the same title as this editorial, sponsored by the Menninger Clinic and by the Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Baylor College of Medicine. An outstanding roster of experts taught us about trauma and the health of populations (Sandro Galea), trauma and memory (Richard McNally), neuroimaging to predict functioning after traumatic brain injury (Erin Bigler), trauma and the military (Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Ivany), trauma in youth from ethnically and racially diverse backgrounds (Michael de Arellano), prolonged exposure therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Edna Foa), “plain old therapy” for the treatment of attachment trauma (Jon Allen), and a special presentation/performance focusing on creativity, suffering, and disability illustrated by the life and work of Beethoven (Richard Kogan). Impressive progress is being made in understanding the neurobiology and neuropathology of trauma, leading to improved treatment for those suffering from traumatic brain injury, PTSD, and other trauma-related conditions. In this issue of the Journal, we publish the winning paper of this year’s resident paper competition, an excellent review paper on the use of benzodiazepines in the treatment of PTSD. Guina and colleagues make a persuasive case that there is little evidence that benzodiazepines are helpful in the treatment of patients with PTSD and that, in fact, there is good evidence that they can be harmful; yet these medications continue to be in widespread use for patients who have experienced trauma. The authors conclude that “benzodiazepines should be considered relatively contraindicated for patients with PTSD or recent trauma”—a message of great importance for us all. This year’s resident paper competition was a busy one, with more submissions than ever before. We are grateful to all of the residents who submitted papers, and we anticipate that several of the top-ranked ones will be published in the Journal throughout the year. And we are grateful to our hard-working judges, who generously took the time to read and critique this year’s especially tall stack of manuscripts. JOHN M. OLDHAM, MD

Editor

DOI: 10.1097/PRA.0000000000000084

Journal of Psychiatric Practice Vol. 21, No. 4

July 2015

Copyright © 2015 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

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