Citation

McMillen JC, North CS, Smith EM. J. Trauma. Stress 2000; 13(1): 57-75.

Affiliation

Center for Mental Health Services Research, George Warren Brown School of Social Work, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri 63130, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2000, International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1023/A:1007768830246

PMID

10761174

Abstract

The incidence and comorbidity of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are addressed in a study of 130 Northridge, California, earthquake survivors interviewed 3 months post-disaster. Only 13% of the sample met full PTSD criteria, but 48% met both the re-experiencing and the arousal symptom criteria, without meeting the avoidance and numbing symptom criterion. Psychiatric comorbidity was associated mostly with avoidance and numbing symptoms. For moderately severe traumatic events, re-experiencing and arousal symptoms may be the most "normal," and survivors with a history of psychiatric problems may be those most likely to develop full PTSD. A system that considers people who meet all three symptom criteria to have a psychiatric disorder yet recognizes the distress of other symptomatic survivors may best serve traumatized populations.

Language: en