Posttraumatic stress disorder (ptsd) and co-morbidity

Abstract

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) very often occurs accompanied with other psychiatric disorders such as: Alcohol and Drug abuse, Personality Disorder, General Anxiety Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Schizophrenia etc. Sometimes it might be a problem for clinicians to differ PTSD symptoms from symptoms of coexisting psychic disorders. The aim of this study was to present the most common PTSD coexisting psycho-disorders. This research was conducted during the period from April 1998 to October 1999. Participants were divided in two groups each containing 30 examinees. The first group consisted of 30 participants with symptoms of PTSD only while the second group included participants who suffered from both PTSD and other psychic disorders (co-morbidity). Both groups were quite similar regarding participants gender and age. The scientific tools used in the research were: Standard Psychiatric Interview, Harvard Trauma Questionnaire (HTQ), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, and Drug and Alcohol Abuse Checklist. Our research results are indicating that PTSD symptoms are most common in middle-aged persons, regardless of their gender and age. We have found following coexisting psychic disorders: personality disorder 46.6% (from which 13.3% is permanent personality disorder after the traumatic experience); depression 29.9% (depression without psychotic symptoms 23.3% and depression with coexisting psychotic symptoms 6.6%); drug abuse 13.3; alcohol abuse 6.7% and dissociative (conversion) disorder 3.3%. The results of our work are suggesting that co-morbid psychic symptoms have significant regressive influence on PTSD course and prognosis.

Looking ahead: A vision for the future.

“…Although it is far from conclusive, a growing body of research literature provides supportive evidence for the utility of this phase-oriented approach for clients who exhibit a pattern of difficulties consistent to C-PTSD by providing supportive evidence of (a) high levels of comorbidity between PTSD and other psychological disorders (Licanin & Redzić, 2002), (b) the validity of the C-PTSD diagnosis (Cloitre, Garvert, Brewin, Bryant, & Maercker, 2013), and (c) the effectiveness of phase-oriented treatment for clients with C-PTSD and traumarelated dissociative disorders (International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation, 2011). Although these lines of investigation are less extensive and more preliminary than the long-standing body of research on trauma-focused EBPs, they certainly provide sufficient evidence to warrant being pursued.…”