title: Predictors of posttraumatic stress disorder and symptoms in adults: a meta-analysis.
abstract: A review of 2,647 studies of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) yielded 476 potential candidates for a meta-analysis of predictors of PTSD or of its symptoms. From these, 68 studies met criteria for inclusion in a meta-analysis of 7 predictors: (a) prior trauma, (b) prior psychological adjustment, (c) family history of psychopathology, (d) perceived life threat during the trauma, (e) posttrauma social support, (f) peritraumatic emotional responses, and (g) peritraumatic dissociation. All yielded significant effect sizes, with family history, prior trauma, and prior adjustment the smallest (weighted r = .17) and peritraumatic dissociation the largest (weighted r = .35). The results suggest that peritraumatic psychological processes, not prior characteristics, are the strongest predictors of PTSD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco 94143-0984, USA. eozer@uci.edu
authors.forename: Emily J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Ozer
authors.forename: Suzanne R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Best
authors.forename: Tami L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Lipsey
authors.forename: Daniel S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Weiss
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001526:Behavioral Symptoms / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012307:Risk Factors; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology*