Typologies of PTSD clusters and reckless/self-destructive behaviors: A latent profile analysis.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is comorbid with diverse reckless and self-destructive behaviors (RSDBs). We examined the nature and construct validity (covariates of age, gender, depression severity, number of trauma types, functional impairment) of the optimal class solution categorizing participants based on PTSD symptom and RSDB endorsement. The sample included 417 trauma-exposed individuals recruited through Amazon's MTurk platform who completed the Life Events Checklist for DSM-5, PTSD Checklist for DSM-5, the Posttrauma Risky Behaviors Questionnaire, and Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Latent profile analyses indicated an optimal three-class solution: the Low PTSD-RSDBs, High PTSD-Low RSDBs, and High PTSD-RSDBs classes. Multinomial logistic regression indicated that impairment and depression predicted the High PTSD-Low RSDBs vs. the Low PTSD-RSDBs classes. Impairment, age, being female, and depression predicted the High vs. Low PTSD-RSDBs classes. Number of trauma types, age, being female, and depression predicted the High PTSD-RSDBs vs. High PTSD-Low RSDBs classes. Results support the presence of a reckless behaviors subtype of PTSD (characterized by greater depression, greater impariment, greater number of trauma types, being male, and being younger), conducting comprehensive assessments of RSDBs for individuals reporting PTSD symptoms and of PTSD symptoms for individuals reporting RSDBs, and the need to tailor interventions to treat PTSD and RSDBs concurrently.