Statement from the ESTSS Task Force on Epidemiology
The Task Force on Epidemiology was established in 2009. Several European ESTSS members wanted to participate, however the Task Force needed aims and tasks. A small working group was established within the Scandinavian countries: Per-Olof Michel (Sweden), Ask Elklit (Denmark) and Siri Thoresen (Norway), all representing national centers engaged in traumatic stress research. The aims of the working group was 1) To prepare a workshop for ECOTS 2011 in Vienna with a focus on epidemiology and methodological issues, and 2) To prepare for the task force meeting at ECOTS 2011 in Vienna with the aim of engaging European researchers in specific tasks.
The workshop at ECOTS 2011 was very well attended and very well received. This might indicate an interest for Task Force workshops at future ESTSS conferences. The Task Force meeting at ECOTS 2011 was attended by 11 individuals, and had a very enthusiastic spirit. A separate Minutes for this meeting has been prepared. The members agreed about the need for prevalence studies in Europe. The members agreed that the first aim of the task force is to write two review papers on European studies on the prevalence of trauma to be submitted to the EJPT, one on children/adolescents and one on adults. These plans were followed-up by mail contacts with all task force members.
However, the recent terror in Norway has delayed the organization of the review papers.
Suggestions:
1. Do we need a change in task force leader or leadership in the organization of the review papers?
2. The task force arranges a workshop on epidemiology at the ESTSS conference in Bologna.
3. The review papers will depend upon ability to engage very busy researchers in time-consuming activities. To justify the allocation of time and resources, it might be necessary to have smaller steps and more short-time goals. Perhaps a realistic goal would be to agree on how to do the review studies, and present those choices as well as some preliminary findings on the ESTSS conference in Bologna.
Siri Thoresen
Members Task Force Epidemiology
Updated 6 June 2011
Siri Thoresen Norway
Cherie Armour Denmark/UK
Jacqueline Hovens The Netherlands
Heide Glaesmer Germany
Maja Lis-Turlejska Poland
Per-Olof Michel Sweden
Tore Wentzel-Larsen Norway
Synne Øien Stensland Norway
Susanne Rosendal Denmark
Helene Aakvaag Norway
Margit Ganster-Breidler Germany
Brigitte Lueger-Schuster Austria
Neil Greenberg UK
Ask Elklit Denmark
Gavin Rees UK
Nino Makashvili Georgia
Peter G. van der Velden The Netherlands
Ole Kristian Hjemdal Norway
Grete Dyb Norway
Annex 7b – Statement from the Task Force Epidemiology, page 1