Carol S North1, Julianne Oliver. 1. The VA North Texas Health Care System, Dallas, TX, USA. carol.north@utsouthwestern.edu
Abstract
PURPOSE: Identification of consistent predictors of the temporal course of PTSD has been hampered by non-uniform definitions of onset and remission. Onset and remission of PTSD based on different definitions were examined in a large database of systematically assessed disaster survivors. METHODS: Directly exposed survivors of 10 disasters were studied within approximately 3 months of the disasters and again 1-3 years later, using consistent methods including full diagnostic assessment, allowing aggregation of data from different disasters into a unified database of 716 survivors. RESULTS: Application of existing definitions of PTSD onset and remission uncovered problems with definitions based on diagnostic threshold as well as onset/remission of symptoms. Few predictors of timing of onset and PTSD remission were identified. Regardless, PTSD symptom group C was found to be pivotal to processes involved in both onset and remission of the disorder. CONCLUSIONS: Research findings related to the onset and remission of PTSD are highly dependent on the definition used. Both symptom-based and diagnostic threshold-based definitions are problematic. Definitions of the onset and remission of PTSD might be more effectively based on the onset and remission of group C symptoms.
PURPOSE: Identification of consistent predictors of the temporal course of PTSD has been hampered by non-uniform definitions of onset and remission. Onset and remission of PTSD based on different definitions were examined in a large database of systematically assessed disaster survivors. METHODS: Directly exposed survivors of 10 disasters were studied within approximately 3 months of the disasters and again 1-3 years later, using consistent methods including full diagnostic assessment, allowing aggregation of data from different disasters into a unified database of 716 survivors. RESULTS: Application of existing definitions of PTSD onset and remission uncovered problems with definitions based on diagnostic threshold as well as onset/remission of symptoms. Few predictors of timing of onset and PTSD remission were identified. Regardless, PTSD symptom group C was found to be pivotal to processes involved in both onset and remission of the disorder. CONCLUSIONS: Research findings related to the onset and remission of PTSD are highly dependent on the definition used. Both symptom-based and diagnostic threshold-based definitions are problematic. Definitions of the onset and remission of PTSD might be more effectively based on the onset and remission of group C symptoms.
Authors: Carol S North; Betty Pfefferbaum; Aya Kawasaki; Sungkyu Lee; Edward L Spitznagel Journal: Compr Psychiatry Date: 2010-06-26 Impact factor: 3.735
Authors: Zhao Helen Wu; Richard G Stevens; Howard Tennen; Carol S North; James J Grady; Charles Holzer Journal: Sleep Date: 2015-07-01 Impact factor: 5.849
Authors: Maria E Reynolds; Josh M Raitt; Ala Üstyol; Rachel Zettl; C Robert Cloninger; Carol S North Journal: Psychiatry Date: 2021-11-15 Impact factor: 2.458