Research Article
Relationships among trauma exposure, chronic posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, and self-reported health in women: Replication and extension
Rachel Kimerling,
Gretchen A. Clum,
Jessica Wolfe,
Rachel Kimerling
Department of Psychiatry, University of California at San Francisco School of Medicine
Search for more papers by this authorGretchen A. Clum
Department of Psychology, University of Georgia
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Jessica Wolfe
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Boston, and Department of Psychiatry, Tufts University School of Medicine
National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Women's Health Sciences Division, 116B-3, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 150 South Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02130Search for more papers by this authorRachel Kimerling,
Gretchen A. Clum,
Jessica Wolfe,
Rachel Kimerling
Department of Psychiatry, University of California at San Francisco School of Medicine
Search for more papers by this authorGretchen A. Clum
Department of Psychology, University of Georgia
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Jessica Wolfe
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Boston, and Department of Psychiatry, Tufts University School of Medicine
National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Women's Health Sciences Division, 116B-3, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 150 South Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02130Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
Fifty-two women who served during the Vietnam era were assessed for war-zone exposure, traumatic life events, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and self-reported health status. Symptoms of PTSD were examined as mediators in the relationship between traumatic exposure and subsequent reports of health problems. Results showed that PTSD symptoms accounted significantly for variance in health problems reported by women with prior traumatic stressor exposure. When the cardinal symptom domains of PTSD (reexperiencing, numbing, avoidance, hyperarousal) were analyzed separately, the symptom cluster representing hyperarousal accounted uniquely for the variance associated with health complaints, beyond that contributed by other symptom clusters. Discussion of the results focuses on mechanisms underlying the relationship between specific symptoms of PTSD and self-reported health. Implications for intervention within the medical system are also considered.
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