title: Associations Between Specific Negative Emotions and DSM-5 PTSD Among a National Sample of Interpersonal Trauma Survivors.
abstract: The diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has undergone several significant changes corresponding with the recent implementation of the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ( DSM-5). Many of these changes reflect a growing recognition that PTSD is characterized by a wide range of negative affective experiences that were underrepresented in prior conceptualizations of the disorder. The present study examined the prevalence and correlates of a new Criterion D symptom (D4-Negative Affect), which is aimed at assessing subjective problems with persistent negative emotion states (e.g., fear, anger, shame, guilt, horror) among a sample of 1,522 U.S. adults with a history of interpersonal trauma recruited from a national online panel. The prevalence of D4-Negative Affect was very high among individuals with assault-related PTSD (AR-PTSD) and in particular, was significantly higher than among PTSD negative individuals. Moreover, specific problems with anger, shame, and fear were significantly and uniquely associated with AR-PTSD. Important differences also emerged as a function of gender and interpersonal trauma history. These findings provide initial empirical support for the expanded emphasis on assessing a wide range of negative affective experiences that may be associated with PTSD in DSM-5.
authors.affiliation: 1 Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.|2 Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, Charleston, SC, USA.
authors.forename: Christal L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Badour
authors.affiliation: 1 Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
authors.forename: Heidi S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Resnick
authors.affiliation: 1 Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
authors.forename: Dean G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Kilpatrick
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000786:Anger; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D004644:Emotions; D005239:Fear / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006167:Guilt; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012752:Shame; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014481:United States; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: PTSD; mental health and violence; violence exposure