Clinical Profile Differences Between PTSD-Diagnosed Military Veterans and Crime Victims

Abstract

Few studies have conducted symptom comparisons across different trauma-exposed populations. Evidence linking different types of trauma to variations in clinical presentation would have potential implications for the assessment and treatment of trauma-related psychopathology. The current study evaluated whether military veterans (n = 187) and civilian crime victims (n = 47) diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder differ in their self-reported posttraumatic symptoms as measured by the Trauma Symptom Inventory. A multivariate profile analysis revealed that military-related trauma is associated with more severe posttraumatic symptoms than criminal victimization and suggested that these 2 types of trauma have statistically distinct symptom profiles. Some potential implications of these findings and considerations for future research are discussed.

The effect of deployment to a combat zone on testosterone levels and the association with the development of posttraumatic stress symptoms: A longitudinal prospective Dutch military cohort study

“…Research shows that the type, frequency, and intensity of traumatic events play a key role as potentiating factors for the development of PTSD (Perkonigg et al, 2000;Frans et al, 2005). Also, the context is associated with different symptoms patterns (Naifeh et al, 2008), therefore, the underlying biological mechanisms might also differ. In addition, future research should assess the etiology of low testosterone and influence of intermediating factors, such as personality and temperament.…”

“…Although the prevalence rates of PTSD vary, the rates are considerably higher than the lifetime prevalence (1.9%) found in the general population of several European countries (Alonso et al, 2004). In addition, military-related trauma is associated with more severe posttraumatic stress symptoms than criminal victimization (Naifeh et al, 2008). So, unraveling possible alterations in neuroendocrine systems in response to (traumatic) stress exposure might also contribute to the identification of biological vulnerability factors for the development of PTSD symptoms and the improvement of preventive intervention strategies.…”

Trauma-induced insomnia: A novel model for trauma and sleep research

“…North et al [21] reported that approximately 80% of survivors of the Oklahoma City Bombing experienced several hyperarousal symptoms including insomnia, exaggerated startle, and poor concentration. Naifeh et al [67] further suggested that hyperarousal symptoms may result from distinct and specific trauma exposure, whereas other PTSD symptoms such as negative affect and emotional numbing may be a consequence of less well defined or circumscribed trauma.…”

Do Motivations for Malingering Matter? Symptoms of Malingered PTSD as a Function of Motivation and Trauma Type

“…Past studies on genuine or malingered PTSD only tend to examine symptom reports in relation to one type of event, such as abuse, combat, or motor vehicle accidents (Elhai et al 2001;Naifeh et al 2008). Empirical research is needed to address whether motivation for malingering and trauma type influence the extent to which individuals provide exaggerated symptom profiles or scores that are comparable to genuine sufferers (e.g., Merckelbach et al 2009).…”

“…The authors feel this is an important issue given that distinctive differences in PTSD symptoms as a function of trauma type have been noted in genuine victim populations. For example, Naifeh et al (2008) compared scores on the Trauma Symptom Inventory (TSI) across a sample of military veterans and crime victims, all who had been diagnosed with PTSD. They found that military veterans scored higher on atypical responding as well as almost all of the clinical scales relative to crime victims, even though both groups had been diagnosed with PTSD.…”