MIDAS Project Publication Abstracts
Zlotnick, C., Franklin, C.L., & Zimmerman, M. Does "subthreshold"
posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have any clinical relevance?
Comprehensive Psychiatry, 2002, 43, 413-419.
The present report examined the extent to which subthreshold posttraumatic
stress disorder (PTSD) (without lifetime PTSD) and full PTSD are
associated with impairment or distress, controlling for comorbidity
(i.e., major depression and panic disorder) in a sample of treatment-seeking
psychiatric patients. Patients were administered diagnostic interviews
and assessed for psychosocial impairment and whether or not they
desired treatment for their PTSD symptoms. No significant differences
were found between patients with full PTSD (N=156) and those with
subthreshold PTSD (N=56) in degree of impairment (i.e., social and
work functioning as well as number of suicide attempts). In contrast,
those with full PTSD had significantly more psychiatric hospitalizations
and worse global functioning and were more likely to want treatment
for their PTSD symptoms compared to those with subthreshold PTSD,
albeit the majority of patients with subthreshold PTSD wanted treatment
for their PTSD symptoms. These findings, like past research, suggest
that subthreshold PTSD is associated with levels of social and work
morbidity comparable to full PTSD. However, the report also underscores
the difficulties in identifying a set of clinical criteria that
clearly delineates between full PTSD and subthreshold PTSD.
Back
|
