title: A person-centered analysis of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms following a natural disaster: predictors of latent class membership.
abstract: The present study applied latent class analysis to a sample of 810 participants residing in southern Mississippi at the time of Hurricane Katrina to determine if people would report distinct, meaningful PTSD symptom classes following a natural disaster. We found a four-class solution that distinguished persons on the basis of PTSD symptom severity/pervasiveness (Severe, Moderate, Mild, and Negligible Classes). Multinomial logistic regression models demonstrated that membership in the Severe and Moderate Classes was associated with potentially traumatic hurricane-specific experiences (e.g., being physically injured, seeing dead bodies), pre-hurricane traumatic events, co-occurring depression symptom severity and suicidal ideation, certain religious beliefs, and post-hurricane stressors (e.g., social support). Collectively, the findings suggest that more severe/pervasive typologies of natural disaster PTSD may be predicted by the frequency and severity of exposure to stressful/traumatic experiences (before, during, and after the disaster), co-occurring psychopathology, and specific internal beliefs.
authors: University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, United States; Boston University, Boston, MA, United States. Electronic address: ajrosellini@gmail.com.
authors: Anthony J
authors: AJ
authors: Rosellini
authors: University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, United States. Electronic address: scoffey@umc.edu.
authors: Scott F
authors: SF
authors: Coffey
authors: Columbia University, New York, NY, United States.
authors: Melissa
authors: M
authors: Tracy
authors: Columbia University, New York, NY, United States.
authors: Sandro
authors: S
authors: Galea
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D055867:Cyclonic Storms; D003863:Depression; D004190:Disasters; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008922:Mississippi; D012067:Religion; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012944:Social Support; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000145:classification* / Q000523:psychology; D059020:Suicidal Ideation; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Hurricane Katrina; Latent class analysis; Natural disaster; PTSD; Trauma