Citation

Foa EB, Riggs DS, Gershuny BS. Am. J. Psychiatry 1995; 152(1): 116-120.

Affiliation

Department of Psychiatry, Medical College of Pennsylvania, Eastern Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute, Philadelphia, 19129.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1995, American Psychiatric Association)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

7802101

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated hypotheses concerning the importance of symptoms of numbing in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). METHODS: Symptoms of PTSD were assessed in 72 female rape victims and 86 female victims of nonsexual assault approximately 3 months after the crimes occurred. A principal-components factor analysis of subjects' symptoms was then undertaken. RESULTS: The analysis yielded three factors: arousal/avoidance, numbing, and intrusion. These were somewhat different from the symptom clusters in DSM-III-R, since effortful avoidance and numbing symptoms did not load on the same factor. Numbing symptoms appeared to be particularly important in identifying individuals with PTSD. CONCLUSIONS: The results imply that there are two patterns of posttrauma symptoms, one characterizing PTSD and the second characterizing a phobic reaction.

Language: en