Secil Ozen1, Ercan Dalbudak, Merve Topcu. 1. Turgut Ozal University, Medicine School, Psychiatry Department, 06510, Ankara, Turkey, drsecilozen@gmail.com.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The purpose of the current study is to investigate the relationship of symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) to childhood trauma and personality characteristics among patients with the diagnosis of mixed anxiety-depression disorder. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 130 patients who were admitted to the psychiatry outpatient and were diagnosed with mixed anxiety-depression disorder were conveniently sampled in the current study. In order for the researchers to complete the assessment, the patients with a history of at least one traumatic experience (40.8%, n=53) were asked to complete a socio-demographic form, the Beck Anxiety Inventory and Beck Depression Inventory, the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form, the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist-Civilian Version, and the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Revised/Abbreviated Form. RESULTS: One hundred thirty patients participated in the current study. In the study, 40.8 % of the patients (n=53) reported that they had been exposed to at least one traumatic event during their lifetime. Patients with a history of at least one traumatic experience (40.8%, n=53) were separated into two groups: those with a diagnosis of PTSD (n=21) (39.6%) and those without PTSD (n=32) (60.4%) (cut off score is 50 and above). The mean comparisons concluded that the group with PTSD and the group without PTSD were significantly different from each other in terms of depression and anxiety symptom severity, neuroticism, and history of physical abuse and neglect. Spearman's correlation analysis revealed that PTSD severity was significantly and positively correlated with neuroticism, and with depression and anxiety symptom severity, as the scores were significantly and negatively correlated with extraversion. The two-step logistic analysis first revealed the severity of the depression symptom, and secondly, physical abuse significantly predicted PTSD in the PTSD group. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with anxiety and/or depressive disorder, PTSD is one of the most frequently-observed comorbid psychiatric disorders. The current study revealed that a history of childhood trauma, neuroticism, and introversion can be considered risk factors for PTSD among patients with mixed anxiety-depression disorder in adulthood. Therefore, it should be taken into consideration that those neurotic and introverted patients with childhood trauma history could be more at risk for PTSD.
BACKGROUND: The purpose of the current study is to investigate the relationship of symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) to childhood trauma and personality characteristics among patients with the diagnosis of mixed anxiety-depression disorder. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 130 patients who were admitted to the psychiatry outpatient and were diagnosed with mixed anxiety-depression disorder were conveniently sampled in the current study. In order for the researchers to complete the assessment, the patients with a history of at least one traumatic experience (40.8%, n=53) were asked to complete a socio-demographic form, the Beck Anxiety Inventory and Beck Depression Inventory, the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form, the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist-Civilian Version, and the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Revised/Abbreviated Form. RESULTS: One hundred thirty patients participated in the current study. In the study, 40.8 % of the patients (n=53) reported that they had been exposed to at least one traumatic event during their lifetime. Patients with a history of at least one traumatic experience (40.8%, n=53) were separated into two groups: those with a diagnosis of PTSD (n=21) (39.6%) and those without PTSD (n=32) (60.4%) (cut off score is 50 and above). The mean comparisons concluded that the group with PTSD and the group without PTSD were significantly different from each other in terms of depression and anxiety symptom severity, neuroticism, and history of physical abuse and neglect. Spearman's correlation analysis revealed that PTSD severity was significantly and positively correlated with neuroticism, and with depression and anxiety symptom severity, as the scores were significantly and negatively correlated with extraversion. The two-step logistic analysis first revealed the severity of the depression symptom, and secondly, physical abuse significantly predicted PTSD in the PTSD group. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with anxiety and/or depressive disorder, PTSD is one of the most frequently-observed comorbid psychiatric disorders. The current study revealed that a history of childhood trauma, neuroticism, and introversion can be considered risk factors for PTSD among patients with mixed anxiety-depression disorder in adulthood. Therefore, it should be taken into consideration that those neurotic and introverted patients with childhood trauma history could be more at risk for PTSD.