Julia Ditzer at the ESTSS Congress in Belfast

From 14 to 17 June 2023, our PhD student Julia Ditzer attended this year's ESTSS Congress in Belfast, organised by the European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies. It is with great pleasure that we announce that Julia Ditzer received the Travel Award for her research work at the congress, which funded her attendance. The congress provided a platform for scientific exchange and research in the field of trauma and resilience. Under the theme "Trauma and resilience over time: a life course perspective", interesting lectures, workshops and networking events were offered during the four days to exchange and expand the knowledge and experience of researchers in this field.

The congress was opened by Prof Chérie Armour, Prof Dominic Murphy and Dr Joanne Mouthaan from the UK Psychological Trauma Society. Trauma research topics included diagnostics, trauma in diverse populations, intervention research and clinical trials, public health, and biological and medical aspects. Especially the research on traumatic experiences in children and adolescents provided valuable insights and inspired new research approaches for our professorship.

Julia Ditzer also had the opportunity to present her own projects. This included the Flashtalk on the meta-analysis "Child maltreatment and alexithymia: A meta-analytic review". The associated paper was recently published in Psychological Bulletin and is available at the following link: https://psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/2023-78411-001.html. In addition, she presented a poster on "Abuse and affection: Implications of parenting on perceived control in adulthood". Both projects were developed in collaboration with the Trauma Group at Stanford University and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
In addition to the extensive congress programme, there were other highlights, such as the reception in Belfast City Hall. There was also a conference dinner with Irish music and tap dancing, where participants had the opportunity to engage in deeper conversations and make valuable new contacts in an informal atmosphere.

Overall, participation in the ESTSS Congress was very worthwhile for Julia Ditzer. She was able to gain numerous new experiences, learn about the current state of research in her field and give presentations on her two current projects herself. In addition, many new contacts were made. It was a very successful trip!