Pietrzak RH, Javier FG, Krystal JH, Southwick SM. Subthreshold post-traumatic stress disorder as a risk factor for post-traumatic stress disorder: results from a sample of USA veterans.
Br J Psychiatry 2021;
219:456-459. [PMID:
35048836 DOI:
10.1192/bjp.2021.17]
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Abstract
Subthreshold post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is more prevalent than PTSD, yet its role as a potential risk factor for PTSD is unknown. To address this gap, we analysed data from a 7-year, prospective national cohort of USA veterans. Of veterans with subthreshold PTSD at wave 1, 34.3% developed PTSD compared with 7.6% of trauma-exposed veterans without subthreshold PTSD (relative risk ratio 6.4). Among veterans with subthreshold PTSD, specific PTSD symptoms, greater age, cognitive difficulties, lower dispositional optimism and new-onset traumas predicted incident PTSD. Results suggest that preventive interventions targeting subthreshold PTSD and associated factors may help mitigate risk for PTSD in USA veterans.
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