Delayed-onset post-traumatic stress disorder among war veterans in primary care clinics.
BACKGROUND
Only limited empirical data support the existence of delayed-onset post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).


OBJECTIVE
To expand our understanding of delayed-onset PTSD prevalence and phenomenology.


METHODS
A cross-sectional, epidemiological design (n = 747) incorporating structured interviews to obtain relevant information for analyses in a multisite study of military veterans.


RESULTS
A small percentage of veterans with identified current PTSD (8.3%, 7/84), current subthreshold PTSD (6.9%, 2/29), and lifetime PTSD only (5.4%, 2/37) met criteria for delayed onset with PTSD symptoms initiating more than 6 months after the index trauma. Altogether only 0.4% (3/747) of the entire sample had current PTSD with delayed-onset symptoms developing more than 1 year after trauma exposure, and no PTSD symptom onset was reported more than 6 years post-trauma.


CONCLUSIONS
Retrospective reports of veterans reveal that delayed-onset PTSD (current, subthreshold or lifetime) is extremely rare 1 year post-trauma, and there was no evidence of PTSD symptom onset 6 or more years after trauma exposure.
Frueh
B Christopher
BC
Department of Psychology, University of Hawaii, 200 W. Kawili St., Hilo, HI 96720, USA. frueh@hawaii.edu
Grubaugh
Anouk L
AL
Yeager
Derik E
DE
Magruder
Kathryn M
KM
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology*