Is life stress more traumatic than traumatic stress?

Sari D Gold; Brian P Marx; Jose M Soler-Baillo; Denise M Sloan

doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2004.06.002

Is life stress more traumatic than traumatic stress?

J Anxiety Disord. 2005;19(6):687-98. doi: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2004.06.002.

Authors

Sari D Gold¹, Brian P Marx, Jose M Soler-Baillo, Denise M Sloan

Affiliation

¹ Psychology Department, Temple University, Weiss Hall, 1701N 13th St., Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA.

PMID: 15927781
DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2004.06.002

Abstract

This study explored the definition of a traumatic stressor, as it currently stands in the DSM-IV-TR, and the relationship between this definition and psychological symptomatology. Four hundred and fifty-four college undergraduates completed measures assessing psychopathology and exposure to trauma. Individuals were then divided into two groups, those who reported a traumatic event that was consistent with the DSM Criterion A1 definition and those who reported a traumatic event that was inconsistent with the definition. Surprisingly, the latter group reported significantly greater severity of PTSD symptomatology than those who reported a Criterion A1 PTSD event. In addition, significantly more people in the DSM trauma-incongruent group met criteria for PTSD than those in the DSM trauma-congruent group. Nearly two-thirds of the DSM trauma-incongruent group identified the death or illness of a loved one as their traumatic experience. The results are discussed within the context of the ongoing controversy over PTSD Criterion A1.

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Analysis of Variance
Cross-Sectional Studies
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders*
Female
Humans
Life Change Events*
Male
New England / epidemiology
Reproducibility of Results
Severity of Illness Index
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / diagnosis*
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / epidemiology
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / psychology