title: Dimensional structure and course of post-traumatic stress symptomatology in World Trade Center responders.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in response to the World Trade Center (WTC) disaster of 11 September 2001 (9/11) is one of the most prevalent and persistent health conditions among both professional (e.g. police) and non-traditional (e.g. construction worker) WTC responders, even several years after 9/11. However, little is known about the dimensionality and natural course of WTC-related PTSD symptomatology in these populations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were analysed from 10 835 WTC responders, including 4035 police and 6800 non-traditional responders who were evaluated as part of the WTC Health Program, a clinic network in the New York area established by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) were used to evaluate structural models of PTSD symptom dimensionality; and autoregressive cross-lagged (ARCL) panel regressions were used to examine the prospective interrelationships among PTSD symptom clusters at 3, 6 and 8 years after 9/11.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CFAs suggested that five stable symptom clusters best represent PTSD symptom dimensionality in both police and non-traditional WTC responders. This five-factor model was also invariant over time with respect to factor loadings and structural parameters, thereby demonstrating its longitudinal stability. ARCL panel regression analyses revealed that hyperarousal symptoms had a prominent role in predicting other symptom clusters of PTSD, with anxious arousal symptoms primarily driving re-experiencing symptoms, and dysphoric arousal symptoms primarily driving emotional numbing symptoms over time.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results of this study suggest that disaster-related PTSD symptomatology in WTC responders is best represented by five symptom dimensions. Anxious arousal symptoms, which are characterized by hypervigilance and exaggerated startle, may primarily drive re-experiencing symptoms, while dysphoric arousal symptoms, which are characterized by sleep disturbance, irritability/anger and concentration difficulties, may primarily drive emotional numbing symptoms over time. These results underscore the importance of assessment, monitoring and early intervention of hyperarousal symptoms in WTC and other disaster responders.
authors.affiliation: National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder,VA Connecticut Healthcare System,West Haven, CT,USA.
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Pietrzak
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry,Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai,New York, NY,USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Feder
authors.affiliation: Department of Family and Social Medicine,Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University,Bronx, NY,USA.
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Schechter
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry,Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai,New York, NY,USA.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry,Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai,New York, NY,USA.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cancelmo
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry,Stony Brook University,Stony Brook, NY,USA.
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Bromet
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry,Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai,New York, NY,USA.
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Katz
authors.affiliation: Office of the Director,National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health,Washington, DC,USA.
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Reissman
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry,Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai,New York, NY,USA.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ozbay
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry,Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai,New York, NY,USA.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine,Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai,New York, NY,USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Crane
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Medicine,Bellevue Hospital Center/New York University School of Medicine,New York, NY,USA.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Harrison
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine,Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai,New York, NY,USA.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Herbert
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine,Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai,New York, NY,USA.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Levin
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases,Stony Brook University,Stony Brook, NY,USA.
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Luft
authors.affiliation: Department of Population Health,Hofstra North Shore-Long Island Jewish School of Medicine,Great Neck, NY,USA.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Moline
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Policy and Management,Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University,New York, NY,USA.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Stellman
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental and Occupational Medicine,UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School,Piscataway, NJ,USA.
authors.forename: I G
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: Udasin
authors.affiliation: Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry,University of Manitoba,Winnipeg, Manitoba,Canada.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: El-Gabalawy
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine,Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai,New York, NY,USA.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Landrigan
authors.affiliation: National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder,VA Connecticut Healthcare System,West Haven, CT,USA.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Southwick
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D060731:Emergency Responders / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D054527:Mass Casualty Incidents / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D047851:September 11 Terrorist Attacks / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014481:United States