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ON TRAumatiC stress and ageing: a global networK (ON TRACK)

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Project group

PI: Sjacko Sobczak

Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience; School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands 

E-mail: Sjacko.sobczak@maastrichtuniversity.nl

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Collaborators are Welcome (CAW)!

We are looking for expert volunteers with expertise in trauma and ageing in particular from underrepresented areas (non-Western) to join us.

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Current network members

Marco Boks, Universitair Medisch Centrum Utrecht, The Netherlands

Margherita Boltri, Sigmund Freud University, Milano, Italy

Liam Borelli-Millott, University of Melbourne, Australia

Erine Brocker, Stellenbosch University, South Africa

Lisa Brown, Palo Alto University, Florida USA

Monica Cations, Flinders University, Australia

Estelle Coeur, University Cote d’Azur, France

Joan Cook, Yale University, USA

Xavier Corveleyn, University Cote d’Azur, France

Gea van Dijk, NHL Stenden, The Netherlands

Ashley Dorame, Boston University, USA

Yinfei Duan, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada

Stéfanie Fréel, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Barbara Forresi, Sigmund Freud University, Milano, Italy

Vaitsa Giannouli, Hellenic Open University, Greece

Ellen Gielkens, Mondriaan, The Netherlands

Mia Maria Günak, LMU Munich, Germany & UCL, Great Britain

Demi Havermans, Maastricht University, The Netherlands

Chris Hoeboer, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, The Netherlands

Bea Hollander-Goldfein, Transcending Trauma Project Philadelphia, USA

Tiffeny James, University of Greenwich, UK

Oj Jianqing, Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), Singapore

Argyroula Kalaitzaki, Hellenic Mediterranean University, Heraklion, Greece

Karen Lawrence, University of Kentucky, USA

Lewina Lee, Boston University School of Medicine, USA

Andreas Maercker, University of Zurich, Switzerland

Sofia Marcolini, University Medical Center Groningen, The Netherlands 

Julian MCKoy Davis, The University of the West Indies, Jamaica

Miranda Olff, Amsterdam University Medical Centers & ARQ National Psychotrauma Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Isadora Olive, UCL, Great Britain

Vasiliki Orgeta, UCL, Great Britain

Robert Pietrzak, Yale University, USA 

Anica Pless Kaiser, National Center for PTSD , Boston, USA

Conny Quaedflieg, Maastricht University, The Netherlands

Alyssa Reiner, University of Pennsylvania, USA

Jessica Ruisch, Maastricht University, The Netherlands

Julia Schellong, Universität Dresden, Germany

Marjus Sela, Flinders University, Australia

Vanessa Simiola, Center for Integrated Health Care Research, Hawaii, USA

Sjacko Sobczak, Maastricht University, The Netherlands

Steven Thorp, Alliant International University, USA

Jelte Woudsma, UNO-UMCG, The Netherlands

Sedigheh Zabihi, UCL, Great Britain

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Background

The global population is growing older and ageism takes place. Consequently, the number of people with dementia will also increase and is expected to double to 74.7 million by 2030 and more than triple by 2050. Several prospective studies have reported that the lifetime risks of dementia varied from 14.3% to 50% in different populations. The global costs of ageism and dementia are enormous and may be seen as a public health and social care priority worldwide.

 

Older adults and people with dementia may have a different symptom presentation of PTSD compared to adults. The prevalence of PTSD in these subgroups is estimated at respectively 3% and 4.7-7.8%. Possibly these are underestimations as older adults with PTSD may show a different and/ or blunted symptoms which may interfere with the clinical diagnostic process, in particular as cognitive dysfunctions are present.

The more as this last stage of life is in general a phase which is accompanied by loss experiences and feelings of impotence. All which may uncover traumatic memories and associated feelings and hence elicit (late-onset) PTSD.

Besides, PTSD has been associated with accelerated ageing and increased risk for dementia. But the long-term impact of traumatic stress on cognition and mental health in the ageing population and its determinants are insufficiently clear. Worldwide there are no collaborations of researchers who can advise clinical, social and health care policies.

 

Global collaborations between researchers in this area will strengthen and accelerate research on traumatic stress and its impact on ageing. An established network will aid in exchanging experience and knowledge. Consequently, efforts in this research field may be shared which will give a solid input to knowledge which is urgently needed in the current mondial ageing population. The ultimate goal is to improve prognoses for PTSD in older adults in general but also in those who are cognitive compromised such as in dementia. Proven and innovative prevention and treatment strategies can be evaluated in different settings in the care chain.

 

To improve global collaboration on this current topic, the Global Collaboration of Traumatic Stress is establishing a worldwide network of researchers in the field of traumatic stress, older adults and cognition.

 

Aims

The aim of ON TRACK network is to connect researchers worldwide who are working in the area of (mental) health care for older adults, care homes or who do research in the field of cognition (and its course) in relation to traumatic stress. Researchers who are active or interested in life-span research on the impact of traumatic stress are also invited. We want to share expertise, knowledge and experience and encourage future collaborations. Ultimately our aim of the network is to improve: i) knowledge on the impact of traumatic stress on ageing and neurodegeneration, ii) mental health prognosis for PTSD subjects over the whole life course.

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Regular ON TRACK network meetings are taking place  Further plans and projects are being developed.

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Contact

Would you like to participate the  ON TRACK network? Or do you have additional questions? Please contact: Sjacko Sobczak

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ON TRACK Position paper

 

Project group

PI : Sjacko Sobczak and ON TRACK network members

 

Background

Several decades of research has shown that traumatic stress is associated with negative effects on the physical and mental health of older adults. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is prevalent in older people, it accelerates the aging process and has been found to increase dementia risk. Despite the health and social care burden of living with trauma and PTSD in late life, including on older adults’ daily functioning and quality of life, systematic research into the prevalence, prognosis, and treatments for trauma and PTSD in older adults, as well as the mechanisms underlying trauma and ageing, remains limited.

 

Aims

The aim of the position paper is to strengthen and accelerate research on traumatic stress and ageing with efforts to improve prognosis and quality of life for older people affected by traumatic stress and PTSD. Increasing our knowledge on assessment and treatment will also improve recognition of PTSD and the development and evaluation of evidence-based treatments that will improve patient outcomes. Increasing knowledge on trauma and ageing mechanisms can further foster the development of more targeted and effective prevention programs. Specifically, this paper seeks to derive and report on evidence-based knowledge related to four domains: ageing mechanisms underlying trauma and ageing, progress in assessment and prevalence, and developments in care. The paper will also identify a specific call to action for future directions in research, clinical practice, and policy.

 

Status: Completed

• ​Sobczak, S., Orgeta, V., Beenakker, M., Boks, M., Boltri, M., Cations, M., Coeur, E., Cook, J. M., Corveleyn, X., Dorame, A.-N., van Dijk, G. C., Forresi, B., Fréel, S., Gómez-Bautista, D., Günak, M. M., Havermans, D. C. D., Hopwood, M., O, J., Lawrence, K. A., Lee L.O., Maercker, A., Marsman, A., Olivé, I., Quaedflieg, C.W.E.M., Ruisch, J., Thorp, S.R., Woudsma, J.S., Zabihi, S,. Olff, M. and Global Collaboration on Traumatic Stress. (2025). Post-traumatic stress disorder in older adults: A global collaboration on setting the future research agenda. The Lancet. Healthy Longevity, 6(6), 100720. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanhl.2025.100720​​​​

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The lifetime prevalence and incidence of trauma exposure and PTSD among older adults: a systematic review 

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Project group

Monica Cations (Australia) (PI), Vasiliki Orgeta (UK), Sjacko Sobczak (Netherlands), Jean Stafford (UK), Marjus Sela (UK), Jelte Woudsma (Netherlands), Miranda Olff (Netherlands), Joan Cook (USA)

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Background

Despite the significant impact of trauma on older adults’ physical and mental health estimates of the prevalence of lifetime trauma exposure among older adults remain poorly understood, with variation across studies. 

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Aims

The aim of this systematic review is to generate global estimates of the lifetime prevalence and incidence of exposure to psychologically traumatic events, lifetime PTSD, and current PTSD among adults aged 60 years and older.

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KOMPAS-study

Trauma, Dementia, and Trauma‑Sensitive Care: Invitation for International Research Collaboration

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Project group:

Sjacko Sobczak (Netherlands), Gea van Dijk (Netherlands), Demi Havermans (Netherlands), Jessica Vervoort (Netherlands), Janet Been-Dahmen (Netherlands), Linda Akkermans-Smithuis (Netherlands)

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Background

Emerging evidence from our TRADE research programme indicates that up to 90% of people with dementia in long-term care have a history of psychological trauma, which—combined with cognitive decline—may trigger re-experiencing and severe behavioural symptoms. These insights highlight an urgent need for trauma‑sensitive care approaches tailored to the psychogeriatric context. Through previous projects such as TRADE, TRACE, TraumaTestament, and GLISTEN, we have developed substantive knowledge on trauma in dementia, its impact on care teams, and the requirements for trauma-informed practice.

Our current implementation project translates this expertise into practical, scalable knowledge products, including training modules for care teams and psychoeducational materials for family members. Using co-creation methodologies and established implementation science frameworks, we work closely with long-term care organisations to embed trauma-informed care sustainably within psychogeriatric wards. National partners support broader dissemination and adaptation of these tools.

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Aims

The project aims to enhance professional competence, reduce care burden, strengthen collaboration with families, and ultimately improve the quality of life of people with dementia who are affected by trauma. Diversity, ethical challenges, and lived experience perspectives are integral to the programme.

We welcome collaboration with international researchers interested in trauma, dementia, implementation science, in neuropsychiatric care. Opportunities include joint studies, methodological exchange, cross‑cultural comparison, and further development of trauma‑sensitive care frameworks.

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Collaborators are Welcome (CAW)!

If you are interested in partnering with us, we would be delighted to connect: Sjacko Sobczak