title: PTSD and Sexual Orientation: An Examination of Criterion A1 and Non-Criterion A1 Events.
abstract: This large-scale cross-sectional study compared posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) prevalence among White, Black, and Latino lesbian, gay and bisexual individuals (LGBs;n= 382) and compared them with heterosexual individuals (n= 126). Building on previous research, we relaxed the criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.;DSM-IV; American Psychiatric Association, 1994), allowing non-Criterion A1 events such as ending a relationship, unemployment, homelessness, and separation from parents to qualify, and we assessed differences in PTSD prevalence between standardDSM-IVcriteria and the relaxed criteria. Findings revealed that participants reporting a non-Criterion A1 event were more likely than those reporting a Criterion A1 event to have symptoms diagnosable as PTSD. There was no significant difference in eitherDSM-IVor relaxed Criterion A1 PTSD prevalence between lesbian and gay, and heterosexual individuals or between bisexual and heterosexual individuals. Compared with White LGBs, Black and Latino LGBs had higher prevalence of PTSD with the relaxed Criterion A1 definition, but this was statistically significant only for Latinos.
authors.affiliation: School of Social Work, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.
authors.forename: Edward J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Alessi
authors.affiliation: The Williams Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law.
authors.forename: Ilan H
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.affiliation: Silver School of Social Work, New York University.
authors.forename: James I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Martin
keywords: Criterion A1; PTSD; bisexual; gay; lesbian