Posttraumatic stress disorder in primary care: prevalence and relationships with physical symptoms and medical utilization.
OBJECTIVE
This study estimates the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and describes the relationships among PTSD status and health indices in a civilian primary care patient sample.


METHODS
Participants (N = 232) completed a paper-and-pencil survey of life events, PTSD symptoms, physical symptoms and health functioning. Utilization was assessed from medical records.


RESULTS
Nine percent of the participants met the criteria for full PTSD (based on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition criteria) and another 25% were defined as partial PTSD. The full-PTSD group evidenced higher rates of medical utilization, more intense physical symptoms and poorer health functioning than the no-PTSD group. The partial-PTSD group more closely resembled the full-PTSD group.


CONCLUSIONS
This study, although limited by sample size and diagnosis by questionnaire vs. diagnostic interview, suggests research directions for enhancing our understanding of PTSD among civilian primary care patients and for developing appropriate interventions that can be conducted in the primary care setting.
Gillock
Karen L
KL
Department of Psychiatry, Dartmouth Medical School, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH 03756-0001, USA. karen.l.gillock@dart
Zayfert
Claudia
C
Hegel
Mark T
MT
Ferguson
Robert J
RJ
D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D009511:New England / Q000453:epidemiology; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires