title: Is there a common pathway to developing ASD and PTSD symptoms?
abstract: Numerous studies have identified risk factors for acute and long-term posttraumatic stress symptoms following traumatic exposure. However, little is known about whether there are common pathways to the development of acute stress disorder (ASD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Research suggests that a common path to ASD and PTSD may lie in peritraumatic responses and cognitions. The results of structural equation modeling in a national sample of Danish bank robbery victims (N=450) show that peritraumatic panic, anxiety sensitivity, and negative cognitions about self were significant common risk factors for both ASD severity and PTSD severity when controlled for the effect of the other risk factors. The strongest common risk factor was negative cognitions about self. Future research should focus on replicating these results as they point to possible areas of preventive and treatment actions against the development of traumatic stress symptoms.
authors.affiliation: National Centre for Psychotraumatology, Institute for Psychology, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark. Electronic address: mhansen@health.sdu.dk.
authors.forename: Maj
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology and Psychology Research Institute, University of Ulster, Northern Ireland, UK.
authors.forename: Cherie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Armour
authors.affiliation: International Psychoanalytic University, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Lutz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wittmann
authors.affiliation: National Centre for Psychotraumatology, Institute for Psychology, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark.
authors.forename: Ask
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Elklit
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology and Psychology Research Institute, University of Ulster, Northern Ireland, UK.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shevlin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000523:psychology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D046353:Immobility Response, Tonic / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D010200:Panic / Q000502:physiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D040701:Stress Disorders, Traumatic, Acute / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013800:Theft / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Acute stress disorder; Bank robbery; Common pathways; Posttraumatic stress disorder; Risk factors