The professionals received the award during the event held at the Central Defense Hospital Gómez Ulla in Madrid, under the theme ‘Psychotrauma: The Unseen Impact’. The awarded work, titled ‘Psychopathological Differences Between Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Acute Stress Disorder in Those Affected by the Dana Storm’, focused on analyzing the characteristics of patients treated at the Dana Trauma Unit, a resource created to provide care to the population affected by the October 29th catastrophe.
To conduct the scientific comparison, the psychologists performed a descriptive analysis using validated questionnaires such as the Revised Symptom Severity Scale (EGS-R), the Davidson Trauma Scale (DTS), and a sociodemographic data self-report. The results showed that patients with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder scored significantly higher in frequency and severity on both the DTS and EGS-R scales, and also registered a higher percentage of previous traumas.
In their conclusions, the researchers emphasize that Acute Stress Disorder (ASD) has a better prognosis, while Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is more prone to becoming chronic. Therefore, they highlight that early intervention in ASD is considered one of the most effective preventive strategies to avoid its evolution into chronic PTSD.
Llanos Conesa, head of the Psychiatry and Mental Health service, positively assessed the Dana PsychoTrauma Unit, created two years ago, as a key care resource for the National Health System.
In addition to the award, the Valencia General Hospital had a notable teaching participation. Llanos Conesa gave the presentation ‘Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). What Did We Do After the Dana Storm? Experience from a Mental Health Service’. Meanwhile, Eva Jordá, head of the Clinical Psychology section, and Ana Benito, a clinical psychology associate, delivered the workshop ‘Psychotrauma Treatment: Experience in a Dana Unit’, which exceeded organizational expectations with over 70 attending professionals.
