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The relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder and self-reported health problems
Dean Lauterbach1, Rajvee Vora, Madeline Rakow
1Department of Psychology, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI 48197, USA. dlauterba@emich.edu
Psychosomatic Medicine
|November 30, 2005
Summary
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is linked to poorer physical health. This study confirms that even after accounting for many other factors, PTSD independently increases the risk of physical health disorders.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Growing evidence links posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to adverse physical health outcomes.
- The extent to which this association is confounded by other factors requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if the association between PTSD and physical health disorders is an artifact of confounding variables.
- To determine the independent contribution of PTSD to physical health risk.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the National Comorbidity Survey (NCS) with 5877 participants.
- Assessed PTSD using a modified DSM-III-R module and physical disorders across 14 classes.
- Controlled for demographics, health perceptions, behaviors, insurance, trauma, psychiatric history, and neuroticism using logistic regression.
Main Results:
- Individuals with PTSD reported a higher prevalence of most physical disorders.
- PTSD group scored higher on variables associated with negative health outcomes.
- After controlling for numerous confounding variables, PTSD remained a significant predictor of physical disorders.
Conclusions:
- The link between PTSD and poor physical health persists even after accounting for a wide array of potential confounders.
- PTSD is an independent risk factor for adverse physical health outcomes.