[Correlation between death of important relatives and posttraumatic stress disorder]

The current study assessed the correlation between the trauma "death of important relatives" and the prevalence of the posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

In a cross-sectional study, 317 subjects (age 37.4; SD 12.6) were examined with the Essen Trauma Inventory (ETI).

The PTSD point-prevalence was 13.1%. The death of important relatives was the second common traumatic event in the investigated sample (44.6%; N=139). This event was most frequently reported as being the worst trauma (25.4%). About 15.1% of those who reported death of important relatives as their worst traumatic event, fulfilled our study criteria for a PTSD. However, in comparison with other traumas this traumatic event was associated with a low probability of PTSD (4% in the total sample). Women and men did not differ with regard to PTSD prevalence. However, men evaluated the trauma "death of important relatives" more often as the worst event in their life than women (chi2=7.24; p<.007).

Our data suggest that an omnipresent phenomenon like death of important relatives, despite a lower risk of PTSD, is a severe traumatic event with a high psychological strain for many people.