Center for Psychotraumatology - VU Filosofijos fakultetas

About

The Center for Psychotraumatology at Vilnius University, Lithuania has a long-term expertise in psychotraumatology, which is reflected in a number of conducted research projects, published scientific papers, national and international collaboration. The main research focus of the Vilnius Center for Psychotraumatology is on disorders specifically associated with stress. The Center is involved in research on the resilience and risk factors of the stress-related disorders, development and evaluation of psychosocial interventions. The Center is led by prof. dr. Evaldas Kazlauskas.

Mission

Acknowledgment of effects of trauma on individuals and society, by providing evidence-based knowledge of trauma responses, trauma assessment, trauma treatment, and trauma prevention to improve care for trauma survivors.

Vision

Leading psychotraumatology research excellence center in the Region conducting high quality trauma-related research with international collaborations.

Contacts

M. K. Ciurlionio str. 29-203
Center for Psychotraumatology
Vilnius University
Vilnius, Lithuania
E-mail:
Phone: +370 5 268 6952
www.ptc.fsf.vu.lt (Lithuanian version)

Team

Lead researcher: professor Evaldas Kazlauskas, PhD

Center for Psychotraumatology is led by associate professor Evaldas Kazlauskas, PhD, who is a clinical psychologist, and a leading expert of stress-related disorders in Lithuania. He is the Head of Center for Psychotraumatology at Vilnius University. Evaldas has been involved in psychotraumatology research and clinical practice since 2000. He is a board member of the European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, and President of the Lithuanian Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.

Research group:

Neringa Grigutytė, PhD, Assoc. Prof.
Paulina Želvienė, PhD, Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Jonas Eimontas, PhD
Ieva Daniūnaitė, PhD student
Goda Gegieckaite, PhD student
Monika Kvedaraitė, research assistant and intern

Student members:

Gintarė Astrauskaitė,
Gintarė Korsakaitė,
Ieva Stonytė,
Jogilė Medeišienė,
Karolina Jocytė,
Lukas Juozapavičius,
Miglė Rudytė,
Rūta Budreckytė,
Saulė Makutėnaitė,
Vaiva Milasiūnaitė.

We invite students to join our group and get involved in our research activities.

Research

Research

The main research focus of the Center for Psychotraumatology is on psychotraumatology; stress-related disorders: posttraumatic stress disorder, complex posttraumatic stress disorder, adjustment disorder; psychological assessment; evaluation of psychosocial interventions; treatment studies; internet-based interventions; resilience; effects of political violence and oppression.

Current projects

The structure of ICD-11 trauma syndroms and psychometric properties of the International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ) in Lithuanian population
Long-term effects on health-related quality of life and stress-related disorders after heart surgery
Effects of childhood trauma and resilience in adolescence
Cross-cultural study of trauma adversity and resilience metaphors
Vilnius ICD-11 Adjustment Disorder Study

Research grants

Center for Psychotraumatology has received external funding for its research activities over the recent years.

PostDoc research project ‘Effects of Childhood Trauma: Stress and Resilience (STAR-A) (2017–2019). This research is funded by the European Social Fund under the No 09.3.3-LMT-K-712-02-0096 “Development of Competences of Scientists, other Researchers and Students through Practical Research Activities” measure. (PI dr. P. Zelviene, scientific advisor prof. dr. E. Kazlauskas). Project budget 42,502 EUR.
PhD research project ‘Longitudinal study of stressors and stress-related disorders in adolescent’ (2018–2022). PhD student - I. Daniunaite, expected defense in October 2022. Project is funded with external funding by the Grant from the Research Council of Lithuania. Supervisor prof. dr. E. Kazlauskas.
Research project ‘Mediating effects of psychosocial factors on stress and trauma related psychological after-effects in the context of social psychotraumatology’ (2015-2017). Funded by Research Council of Lithuania. Grant number MIP-006/2015 (PI dr. Evaldas Kazlauskas). Budget 87,759 EUR.
Research project ‘Effectiveness of Brief Eclectic Psychotherapy for PTSD and comparison to internet-based intervention’ (2012–2014). Funded by Research Council of Lithuania. Grant number MIP-011/2012 (PI dr. Evaldas Kazlauskas). Budget 53,200 EUR.
Research project ‘Psychosocial factors of psychological well-being in the Context of Psychotraumatology’. (2012–2013). Funded by Research Council of Lithuania. Grant number SIN-01/2012 (PI dr. Evaldas Kazlauskas). Budget 40,480 EUR.
Research project ‘Ambulatory psychological assessment in psychotraumatology’ (2010–2011). Funded by Research Council of Lithuania. Grant number MIP-19/2010 (PI dr. Evaldas Kazlauskas). Budget 47,380 EUR.
Research project ‘Cross-cultural study of trauma metaphors‘ (2016–2017). Funded by C. G. Jung Foundation (PI prof. A. Maercker).
Research project ‘Effectiveness of short-term psychosocial intervention for adjustment disorder’ (2014–2016). Funded by Research Council of Lithuania. Grant number MIP-079/2014 (PI dr. P. Skruibis). Budget 53,200 EUR.
Research project ‘Psychological analysis of intergenerational effects of the totalitarian regime’ (2009). Funded by Lithuanian Science and Study Foundation. Grant number T-13/09 (PI prof. D. Gailienė).
Researcher, Research project ‘Intergenerational effects of psychological trauma in the context of social changes in society’ (2007). Funded by Lithuanian Science and Study Foundation. Grant number T-06/07 (PI prof. D. Gailienė).
Research project ‘Clinical psychological assessment in psychotraumatology‘ (2005). Grant number T-09/05. Funded by Lithuanian Science and Study Foundation. (PI prof. D. Gailienė).
Research project ‘Long-term effects of Soviet political repression in Lithuania’ (2000-2003). Funded by Lithuanian Genocide and Resistance Research Center. (PI prof. D. Gailienė).

Research instruments

The center has validated or developed a list of psychological assessment measures. Please contact us if you have inquiries regarding these measures.

ADNM (Adjustment Disorder New Module)
DTQ (Disclosure of Trauma Questionnaire)
IES-R (Impact of Event Scale - Revised)
ITQ (International Trauma Questionnaire)
LEC (Life Events Checklist)
PTGI (Posttraumatic Growth Inventory)
SAQ (Social Acknowledgement Questionnaire)
SOCHI (Social Changes Inventory)
WBQ (Well-being Questionnaire)

Collaboration

Active collaboration and communication with organisations working in the field of psychotraumatology is priority for the Center for Psychotraumatology. Successful collaboration has led to joint research projects, publications and implementation of trauma treatments. Center for Psychotraumatology is open to new collaboration opportunities nationally and internationally. Please contact us for more information.

International

Arq Psychotrauma Expert Group, The Netherlands
Danish National Centre for Psychotraumatology, University of Southern Denmark
Division of Clinical Psychopathology and Intervention, University of Zurich, Switzerland
Internet, health and clinical psychology research group, Linköping university, Sweden
Norwegian Centre for Violence and Traumatic Stress Studies, University of Oslo
StressLab, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Poland
European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies

Publications

We make our research articles available to those who are interested. Papers that are not available directly from our website, can be obtained from the staff of the Center for Psychotraumatology. Please contact us for articles and other questions via email: .

Recent publications

Meili, I. Gegieckaite, G., & Kazlauskas, E. Metaphors of Posttraumatic Growth: A Qualitative Study in Swiss, Lithuanian, and Brazilian Rural Communities (in press). In A. Maercker, E. Heim, & L. J. Kirmayer (Eds.). Cultural Clinical Psychology and PTSD. (pp. 141–156). Hogrefe Publishing.

Schäfer, I., Hopchet, M., Vandamme, N., Ajdukovic, D., El-Hage, W., Egreteau, L., Javakhishvili, J., Makhashvili, N., Lampe, A., Ardion, V., Kazlauskas, E., Mouthaan, J., Sijbrandij, M., Dragan, M., Lis-Turlejska, M., Figueiredo-Braga, M., Sales, L., Arnberg, F., Nazarenko, T., Nalyvaiko, N., Armour, C., & Murphy, D. (in press). Trauma and trauma care in Europe. European Journal of Psychotraumatology. doi:10.1080/20008198.2018.1556553

Knefel, M., Lueger-Schuster, B., Bisson, J., Karatzias, T., Kazlauskas, E., & Neil, P. R. (in press). A cross-cultural comparison of ICD-11 Complex PTSD symptom networks in Austria, Lithuania, and UK. Journal of Traumatic Stress

Paliaukiene, V., Kazlauskas, E., Eimontas, J., Skeryte-Kazlauskiene, M. (2018). Music performance anxiety among students of the academy in Lithuania. Music Education Research, 20(3), 390–397. doi:10.1080/14613808.2018.1445208

Eimontas, J., Gegieckaite, G., Dovydaitiene, M., Mazulyte, E., Rimsaite, Z., Skruibis, P., Zelviene, P., & Kazlauskas, E. (2018). The role of therapist support on effectiveness of an internet-based modular self-help intervention for adjustment disorder: A randomized controlled trial. Anxiety, Stress, and Coping, 31, 146–158. doi:10.1080/10615806.2017.1385065

Kazlauskas, E., Gegieckaite, G., Hyland, P., Zelviene, P., & Cloitre, M. (2018). The structure of ICD-11 PTSD and complex PTSD in Lithuanian mental health services. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 9, 1414559. doi:10.1080/20008198.2017.1414559

Zelviene, P., & Kazlauskas, E. (2018). Adjustment disorder: Current perspectives. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, 14, 375–381. doi:10.2147/NDT.S121072

Kazlauskas, E., Gegieckaite, G., Eimontas, J., Zelviene, P., & Maercker, A. (2018). A brief measure of the International Classification of Diseases-11 adjustment disorder: Investigation of psychometric properties in adult help-seeking sample. Psychopathology, 51, 10–15. doi:10.1159/000484415

Grazulyte, D., Norkiene, I., Kazlauskas, E., Zelviene, P., Korsakaite, G., Ringaitiene, D., Sipylaite, J. (2018). Long-term quality of life following heart surgery: preliminary findings of a 5-year follow-up study. Comprehensive cardiac care / Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia (32), S21–S37.

Karatzias, T., Cloitre, M., Maercker, A., Kazlauskas, E., Shevlin, M., Hyland, P., Bisson, J., Roberts, N.P., & Brewin, C.R. (2017). PTSD & complex PTSD: ICD -11 updates on concept and measurement in the UK, USA, Germany and Lithuania. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 8. doi:10.1080/20008198.2017.1418103

Eimontas, J., Rimsaite, Z., Gegieckaite, G., Zelviene, P., & Kazlauskas, E. (2017). Internet-based self-help intervention for adjustment disorder: Preliminary findings. Psychiatric Quarterly, 1-10. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s11126-017-9547-2

Kazlauskas, E., Gailiene, D., Vaskeliene, I., & Skeryte-Kazlauskiene, M. (2017). Intergenerational transmission of resilience? Sense of coherence is associated between Lithuanian survivors of political violence and their adult offspring. Frontiers in Psychology, 8: 1677. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01677

Kazlauskas, E. (2017). Challenges for providing health care in traumatized populations: barriers for PTSD treatments and the need for new developments. Global Health Action, 10(1), 1322399. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/16549716.2017.1322399

Kazlauskas, E., Zelviene, P., & Eimontas, J. (2017) ‘No posttraumatic stress disorder in Lithuania’: National health care fails to identify PTSD. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 30, 99–102. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jts.22152

Zelviene, P., Kazlauskas, E., Eimontas, J., & Maercker, A. (2017). Adjustment disorder: Empirical study of a new diagnostic concept for ICD-11 in the general population in Lithuania. European Psychiatry, 40, 20–25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eurpsy.2016.06.009

Kazlauskas, E., Jovarauskaite, L., Mazulyte, E., Skruibis, P., Dovydaitiene, M., Eimontas, J., & Zelviene, P. (2017). ‘It will get even better’: preliminary findings from a trauma-focused psychotherapy effectiveness study reveal false positive patients’ long-term outcome expectations after the treatment. Nordic Journal of Psychiatry, 71(4), 277-281. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08039488.2016.1276623

Kazlauskas, E., & Zelviene, P. (2017). Association between posttraumatic stress and acceptance of social changes: Findings from a general population study and proposal of a new concept. International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 63 (2), 126-131. https://doi.org/10.1177/0020764016687788

Skruibis, P., Eimontas, J., Dovydaitiene, M., Mazulyte, E., Zelviene, P., & Kazlauskas, E. (2016). Internet-based modular program BADI for adjustment disorder: Protocol of a randomized controlled trial. BMC Psychiatry, 16(1). http://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-016-0980-9

Kazlauskas, E., & Zelviene, P. (2016). Trauma research in the Baltic Countries: From political oppression to recovery. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 7, 29295. http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/ejpt.v7.29295

Kazlauskas, E., Javakhishvilli, J., Meewisse, M., Merecz-Kot, D., Şar, V., Schäfer, I., ... & Gersons, B. P. (2016). Trauma treatment across Europe: where do we stand now from a perspective of seven countries. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 7. http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/ejpt.v7.29450

Events

Courses and conferences

We provide trainings and supervisions of evidence-based trauma-focused treatments for mental health professionals. There are ongoing EMDR, BEPP trainings at the moment. Contact us about the possibilities of training and supervision of trauma-informed treatments.

We organize Annual Vilnius Trauma Conferences since 2010. Keynote speakers in past conferences were: prof. Andreas Maercker from Switzerland (2010), prof. Berthold Gersons from the Netherlands (2011 2017), prof. William Yule from Great Britain (2012), prof. Onja Grad from Slovenia (2013), Marinus van IJzendoorn from the Netherlands (2014), prof. Grete Dyb from Norway (2016), and others.

IX Annual Vilnius Trauma Conference will be held in March, 2019 in Vilnius University.

BADI

Psichotraumatologijos centro puslapis.v4

Registracija į BADI programą yra sustabdyta. Dėkojame visiems naudojusiems BADI ir dalyvavusiems BADI programos tyrimuose.

Mūsų tyrimai parodė, kad BADI programa yra veiksminga žmonėms, kurie siekia susitvarkyti su stresu. Susipažinti su BADI tyrimų rezultatais galite mūsų publikuotuose moksliniuose straipsniuose.

Ateityje planuojame vykdyti naujus psichologinės pagalbos internetu projektus ir tyrimus. Visas naujienas sekite Vilniaus universiteto Psichotraumatologijos centro internetiniame puslapyje.

Kilus klausimams, prašome kreiptis VU Psichotraumatologijos centro el. paštu:

Registration to BADI is suspended. We would like to thank everyone who used BADI and participated in BADI trials.

Our research showed that BADI can effectively help to cope with stress. Please see our published papers for more information.

For our latest research on internet interventions please see our website.

Please contact Center for Psychotraumatology at Vilnius university for further inquiries:

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