title: Posttraumatic intrusive symptoms across psychiatric disorders.
abstract: Reexperiencing symptoms are a key feature of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study investigated the pattern of reexperiencing symptoms in non-PTSD posttraumatic disorders. This study recruited 1084 traumatically injured patients during hospital admission and conducted follow-up assessment 12 months later (N = 817, 75%). Twelve months after injury, 22% of patients reported a psychiatric disorder they had never experienced prior to the traumatic injury. One-third of patients with a non-PTSD disorder satisfied the PTSD reexperiencing criteria. Whereas patients with a non-PTSD disorder were more likely to experience intrusive memories, nightmares, psychological distress and physiological reactivity to reminders, only patients with PTSD were likely to experience flashback memories (OR: 11.41, 95% CI: 6.17-21.09). The only other symptom that was distinctive to PTSD was dissociative amnesia (OR: 4.50, 95% CI: 2.09-9.71). Whereas intrusive memories and reactions are common across posttraumatic disorders, flashbacks and dissociative amnesia are distinctive to PTSD.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney NSW 2052, Australia. r.bryant@unsw.edu.au
authors.forename: Richard A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Bryant
authors.forename: Meaghan L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: O'Donnell
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Creamer
authors.forename: Alexander C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: McFarlane
authors.forename: Derrick
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Silove
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000647:Amnesia / Q000523:psychology*; D004325:Dreams / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012890:Sleep; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications*