Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 14, 2026

Developing Neuroimaging Phenotypes of the Default Mode Network in PTSD: Integrating the Resting State, Working Memory, and Structural Connectivity
Published on: July 1, 2014
Testing the latent structure of posttraumatic stress disorder: a taxometric study of combat veterans
David Forbes1, Nick Haslam, Ben J Williams
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. dforbes@unimelb.edu.au
Abstract:
Since the diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) first appeared in the psychiatric nomenclature in 1980, considerable debate has revolved around the nature of the condition. Specifically, is PTSD best conceptualized as one end of a continuum of human response to traumatic stress or does it represent a discontinuous latent category? Two taxometric procedures were used to investigate this issue in a random community sample of 692 Australian combat veterans, using structured interview and self-report instruments to assess PTSD symptomatology. Findings favored a dimensional model of PTSD, consistent with previous taxometric work on treatment-seeking samples (A. Ruscio, Ruscio, & Keane, 2002). Implications are drawn for the conceptualization, etiology, and assessment of PTSD.
Related Concept Videos
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
Symptoms and Behavioral Manifestations
A spectrum of distressing symptoms characterizes PTSD. Recurrent flashbacks, where individuals involuntarily relive traumatic events, are a...
Introduction to Stress and Lifestyle
Self-Report Tests of Personality
