Duration of exposure and the dose-response model of PTSD.
A dose-response model underlies posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and posits a relationship between event magnitude and clinical outcome. The present study examines whether one index of event magnitude--duration of exposure--contributes to risk of PTSD among female victims of sexual assault. Findings support a small but significant contribution of event duration to clinical status in the immediate aftermath of trauma but not at 3-month follow-up. The opposite pattern is obtained for subjective appraisals of threat. These findings add to a growing literature that suggests that a simple application of the dose-response model to objective event characteristics may be insufficient to explain the risk of PTSD.
Kaysen
Debra
D
University of Washington Medical School, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Box 356560, Seattle,WA 98195-0650, USA. dkaysen@u.washington.edu
Rosen
Gerald
G
Bowman
Marilyn
M
Resick
Patricia A
PA
D000328:Adult; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000523:psychology*; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D011902:Rape / Q000523:psychology*; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult