Citation

Joormann J, McLean SA, Beaudoin FL, An X, Stevens JS, Zeng D, Neylan TC, Clifford G, Linnstaedt SD, Germine LT, Rauch SL, Musey PI, Hendry PL, Sheikh S, Jones CW, Punches BE, Fermann G, Hudak LA, Mohiuddin K, Murty V, McGrath ME, Haran JP, Pascual J, Seamon M, Peak DA, Pearson C, Domeier RM, Sergot P, Merchant R, Sanchez LD, Rathlev NK, Peacock WF, Bruce SE, Barch D, Pizzagalli DA, Luna B, Harte SE, Hwang I, Lee S, Sampson N, Koenen KC, Ressler KJ, Kessler RC. Psychol. Med. 2020; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, Cambridge University Press)

DOI

10.1017/S0033291720003773

PMID

33118917

Abstract

BACKGROUND: This is the first report on the association between trauma exposure and depression from the Advancing Understanding of RecOvery afteR traumA(AURORA) multisite longitudinal study of adverse post-traumatic neuropsychiatric sequelae (APNS) among participants seeking emergency department (ED) treatment in the aftermath of a traumatic life experience.

METHODS: We focus on participants presenting at EDs after a motor vehicle collision (MVC), which characterizes most AURORA participants, and examine associations of participant socio-demographics and MVC characteristics with 8-week depression as mediated through peritraumatic symptoms and 2-week depression.

RESULTS: Eight-week depression prevalence was relatively high (27.8%) and associated with several MVC characteristics (being passenger v. driver; injuries to other people). Peritraumatic distress was associated with 2-week but not 8-week depression. Most of these associations held when controlling for peritraumatic symptoms and, to a lesser degree, depressive symptoms at 2-weeks post-trauma.

CONCLUSIONS: These observations, coupled with substantial variation in the relative strength of the mediating pathways across predictors, raises the possibility of diverse and potentially complex underlying biological and psychological processes that remain to be elucidated in more in-depth analyses of the rich and evolving AURORA database to find new targets for intervention and new tools for risk-based stratification following trauma exposure.

Language: en

Keywords

PTSD; trauma; depression; Anxiety