Examining Neuroendocrine and Inflammatory Biomarker Profiles to Characterize PTSD Subtypes and Symptom Profiles.

Abstract

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a complex mental health disorder that is triggered by exposure to traumatic events and is characterized by a wide range of possible symptomatologies and presentations (Tsai et al., 2015). Symptoms of PTSD include intrusive flashbacks, hyperarousal, and negative alterations in the psychological state of an individual (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). PTSD is also highly comorbid with various other mental health disorders, such as depression (Nichter et al., 2019), and is heterogeneous in symptom presentation, as factors such as the type of trauma, early-life adversity, age, sex and genetics can all influence the development, heterogeneity and severity of PTSD (Campbell-Sills et al., 2021;Flory & Yehuda, 2015). Indeed, there are different forms or subtypes of this disorder, such as complex PTSD and dissociative PTSD (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Within the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), dissociative PTSD has been characterized by symptoms of derealization and depersonalization, in addition to the symptomatology experienced in non-dissociative PTSD (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).PTSD is highly prevalent among military personnel and veterans, due to their increased likelihood of combat trauma exposure (Litz et al., 2018). It is estimated that approximately 30% of combat exposed military personnel will develop a mental health disorder, and 10% are projected to suffer from PTSD (Paré, 2011). Elevated rates of PTSD among military personnel are owing to specific traumas that veterans are more likely to be exposed to, which include the threat to self, threat to others, aftermath of violence, traumatic loss, moral injury to self, and moral injury to others (Litz et al., 2018). Moreover, veterans are not only at a higher risk of suffering from PTSD