title: Predictors of PTSD symptoms in brazilian police officers: the synergy of negative affect and peritraumatic dissociation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Exposure to traumatic events is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Pretrauma, peritrauma and posttrauma factors interact to impact on symptom severity. The aim of the present study is to determine risk factors for PTSD symptoms in Brazilian police officers.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a cross-sectional sample of active duty officers (n = 212), participants were asked to complete a socio-demographic questionnaire and self-report scales on affective traits, cumulative critical incident exposure, peritraumatic distress and dissociation, PTSD symptoms, and social support. Hierarchical linear regression analysis was conducted to examine predictors of PTSD symptoms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Variables related to negative affect, job duration, frequency of critical incident exposure, peritraumatic dissociation, and lack of social support remained significant in the final model and explained 55% of the variance in PTSD symptoms. When interaction terms were evaluated, a synergistic effect between negative affect and peritraumatic dissociation was found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The risk factors found in this study provide clues on how to elaborate primary prevention strategies regarding PTSD symptoms in police officers. Such initiatives may lessen the impact of repeated exposure to traumatic events on police officers over the course of their careers.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Psiquiatria (IPUB), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. deborahbmaia@gmail.com
authors.forename: Deborah B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Maia
authors.forename: Charles R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Marmar
authors.forename: Clare
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Henn-Haase
authors.forename: Augusta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nóbrega
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fiszman
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Marques-Portella
authors.forename: Mauro V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Mendlowicz
authors.forename: Evandro S F
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Coutinho
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Figueira
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil; D004213:Dissociative Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D006801:Humans; D016495:Police; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population