title: Comparing the diagnosis of PTSD when assessing worst versus multiple traumatic events in a chronically mentally ill sample.
abstract: Despite interest in the nature of the traumatic event required to meet Criterion A for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV; American Psychiatric Association, 1994), little attention has been paid to the diagnostic ramifications of linking PTSD symptoms to a single traumatic event in the context of multiple trauma exposures. In this study, 67 dually diagnosed clients with at least 2 potential Criterion A traumatic events completed the Posttraumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale twice, in counterbalanced order: once regarding their worst event and once regarding all events. When responding regarding their worst trauma, 53.7% met probable PTSD criteria. This rose to 67.2% when considering all traumas. Although preliminary, these results suggest that linking PTSD symptoms to a single traumatic event excludes a meaningful number of cases who are otherwise indistinguishable based on symptom profile.
authors: VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Mental Health Service, Seattle, WA, USA. Tracy.Simpson@va.gov
authors: Tracy L
authors: TL
authors: Simpson
authors: Katherine Anne
authors: KA
authors: Comtois
authors: Sally A
authors: SA
authors: Moore
authors: Debra
authors: D
authors: Kaysen