The structure of posttraumatic psychopathology in veterans attending primary care

David Forbes, Jon D. Elhai, Emma Lockwood, Mark Creamer, B. Christopher Frueh, Kathryn M. Magruder

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

15 Scopus citations

Abstract

This study attempted to extend research indicating that posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) factors of Re-experiencing, Avoidance and Hyperarousal are more related to Fear/phobic disorders, while PTSD Dysphoria is more related to Anxious-Misery disorders. Trauma exposure, PTSD and comorbidity data for 668 veteran patients were analysed using confirmatory factor analyses and relative strengths of the relationships between PTSD factors and the Fear and Anxious-Misery factors were assessed. Combining Simms, Watson, and Doebbeling's (2002) model of PTSD symptoms and Krueger's (1999) Fear/Anxious Misery model of mood and anxiety disorders fit the data well. Contrary to previous research, PTSD Re-experiencing, Avoidance and Hyperarousal did not correlate more with the Fear factor; nor did PTSD Dysphoria correlate more with Anxious-Misery. Hyperarousal was more closely related to Fear than was Re-experiencing; however, Avoidance was not. Dysphoria was more closely related to the Anxious-Misery factor than all other PTSD factors.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)95-101
Number of pages7
JournalJournal of Anxiety Disorders
Volume26
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 2012

Keywords

  • Anxiety
  • Latent factors
  • Mood
  • Posttraumatic stress disorder
  • Veterans

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Clinical Psychology
  • Psychiatry and Mental health

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