NCJ Number
227025
Journal
Violence Against Women Volume: 15 Issue: 5 Dated: May 2009 Pages: 618-687
Date Published
May 2009
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This study examined the prevalence of traumatic events in women with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or major depressive disorder (MDD) and determined how these other traumatic events might be related to levels of psychological symptom severity controlling for the presence of psychiatric diagnosis.
Abstract
The majority of the psychiatric sample reported three or more trauma exposures (79 to 96 percent), whereas the majority of the comparison sample did not (46 percent). Regression analyses revealed that type of trauma exposure was a significant variable in explaining current adjustment. The adult physical assault category was significant for two of the symptom scales, including self-reported posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) severity and depressive symptoms. The childhood violence category was most associated with increased hostility. PTSD and major depressive disorder (MDD) groups reported greater past year health conditions and health care utilization. Exposure to a traumatic event is a risk factor for a host of psychiatric disorders and is a defining characteristic of PTSD. Although many studies examining the impact of trauma have focused exclusively on the psychiatric outcome of PTSD, there is a growing body of literature that suggests trauma history may play a significant role in MDD. This study examined lifetime trauma exposure rates in 148 women with PTSD, MDD, or neither diagnosis and whether this was related to measures of PTSD, depression, hostility, health symptoms, and healthcare utilization. Table and references