title: Examining PTSD treatment choice among individuals with subthreshold PTSD.
abstract: Subthreshold posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with impairment and has a prevalence rate comparable to full PTSD. Yet, little is known regarding treatment preferences among individuals with subthreshold PTSD, even though they seek trauma-related treatment at a similar rate to those with full PTSD. This study explored subthreshold diagnostic PTSD diagnostic category and treatment preference in undergraduate (N = 439) and trauma-exposed community (N = 203) samples. Participants completed the Posttraumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale (PDS), viewed standardized treatment rationales, and made a hypothetical PTSD treatment choice: prolonged exposure (PE), sertraline, combination treatment, or no treatment. The PDS was used to categorize individuals into four PTSD categories: no trauma exposure, trauma exposure only, subthreshold PTSD, and full PTSD. Within the samples, 8.9% (n = 39) of undergraduates and 16.7% (n = 34) of community members met subthreshold PTSD criteria. The majority of individuals with subthreshold PTSD in each sample reported impairment, 59.0% of undergraduates and 76.5% of community members. Within subthreshold PTSD groups, the most commonly selected treatments were PE (61.5%) for undergraduates and combination treatment (47.1%) for community members. Findings underscore the necessity of further examining subthreshold PTSD, which may hold important clinical implications for treatment processes and outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Case Western Reserve University, Department of Psychological Sciences, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA. Electronic address: heb38@case.edu.
authors.forename: Hannah E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Bergman
authors.affiliation: Case Western Reserve University, Department of Psychological Sciences, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
authors.forename: Alexander C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Kline
authors.affiliation: Case Western Reserve University, Department of Psychological Sciences, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
authors.forename: Norah C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Feeny
authors.affiliation: University of Washington, Department of Psychology, Box 351525, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
authors.forename: Lori A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Zoellner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007171:Implosive Therapy; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018579:Patient Selection; D020280:Sertraline / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D020280:Sertraline
keywords: Posttraumatic stress disorder; Prolonged exposure; Sertraline; Subthreshold posttraumatic stress disorder; Treatment choice