title: Post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms in emotionally distressed individuals referred for a depression prevention intervention: relationship to problem-solving skills.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study examined the rates of syndromal and subthreshold post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and PTSD symptom scores in participants with symptoms of emotional distress, subsyndromal depression, and a history of traumatic exposure. Participants had been referred to a study of an indicated depression prevention intervention using problem-solving therapy in primary care. We hypothesized that higher severity of PTSD symptom scores would predict poorer problem-solving skills. In addition, some reports have suggested that there are higher rates of PTSD in minority populations relative to Caucasians; thus we hypothesized that race would also predict problem-solving skills in these individuals.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined the rates of traumatic exposure, syndromal, and subthreshold PTSD. In those exposed to trauma, we performed a multiple linear regression to examine the effects of PTSD symptoms, depression symptoms, race, age, and gender on social problem-solving skills.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 244 participants, 64 (26.2%) reported a traumatic event; 6/234 (2.6%) had syndromal PTSD, and 14/234 (6.0%) had subthreshold PTSD. By way of regression analysis, higher PTSD symptom scores predicted poorer problem-solving skills. In addition, racial status (Caucasian vs. African American) predicted problem-solving skills; Caucasians exhibited lower levels of problem-solving skills.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Individuals presenting with subsyndromal depressive symptoms may also have a history of traumatic exposure, subthreshold and syndromal PTSD. Thus, screening these individuals for PTSD symptoms is important and may inform clinical management decisions because problem-solving skills are lower in those with more severe PTSD symptoms (even after adjusting for race, age, gender, and depressive symptoms).
authors.affiliation: VA Pittsburgh MIRECC and Behavioral Health, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. kasckowjw@upmc.edu
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kasckow
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Morse
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Begley
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bensasi
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Reynolds
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011340:Problem Solving; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012737:Sex Factors; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*