Top

Published in:

01-09-2008

Experiences of Traumatic Events and Associations with PTSD and Depression Development in Urban Health Care-seeking Women

Authors: Jessica M. Gill, Gayle G. Page, Phyllis Sharps, Jacquelyn C. Campbell

Published in: Journal of Urban Health | Issue 5/2008

Abstract

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that occurs after a traumatic event and has been linked to psychiatric and physical health declines. Rates of PTSD are far higher in individuals with low incomes and who reside in urban areas compared to the general population. In this study, 250 urban health care-seeking women were interviewed for a diagnosis of PTSD, major depressive disorder, and also the experience of traumatic events. Multivariate logistic regressions were used to determine the associations between traumatic events and PTSD development. Survival analysis was used to determine if PTSD developed from assaultive and nonassaultive events differed in symptom duration. Eighty-six percent of women reported at least one traumatic event, 14.8% of women were diagnosed with current PTSD, and 19.6% with past PTSD. More than half of women with PTSD had comorbid depression. Assaultive traumatic events were most predictive of PTSD development. More than two thirds of the women who developed PTSD developed chronic PTSD. Women who developed PTSD from assaultive events experienced PTSD for at least twice the duration of women who developed PTSD from nonassaultive events. In conclusion, PTSD was very prevalent in urban health care-seeking women. Assaultive violence was most predictive of PTSD development and also nonremittance.

Kessler RC, Sonnega A, Bromet E, Hughes M, Nelson CB. Posttraumatic stress disorder in the National Comorbidity Survey. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1995;52(12):1048–1060.PubMed

Breslau N, Kessler RC, Chilcoat HD, Schultz LR, Davis GC, Andreski P. Trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder in the community: the 1996 Detroit area survey of trauma. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1998;55(7):626–632.PubMedCrossRef

Breslau N, Davis GC, Peterson EL, Schultz LR. A second look at comorbidity in victims of trauma: the posttraumatic stress disorder-major depression connection. Biol Psychiatry. 2000;48(9):902–909.PubMedCrossRef

North CS, Pfefferbaum B, Tivis L, Kawasaki A, Reddy C, Spitznagel EL. The course of posttraumatic stress disorder in a follow-up study of survivors of the Oklahoma City bombing. Ann Clin Psychiatry. 2004;16(4):209–215.PubMed

O’Donnell ML, Creamer M, Pattison P. Posttraumatic stress disorder and depression following trauma: understanding comorbidity. Am J Psychiatry. 2004;161(8):1390–1396.PubMedCrossRef

Alim TN, Charney DS, Mellman TA. An overview of posttraumatic stress disorder in African Americans. J Clin Psychol. 2006;62(7):801–813.PubMedCrossRef

Kimerling R. An investigation of sex differences in nonpsychiatric morbidity associated with posttraumatic stress disorder. J Am Med Women’s Assoc. 2004;59(1):43–47.

Breslau N, Davis GC, Andreski P, Peterson EL, Schultz LR. Sex differences in posttraumatic stress disorder. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1997;54(11):1044–1048.PubMed

Norris FH, Murphy AD, Baker CK, Perilla JL. Postdisaster PTSD over four waves of a panel study of Mexico’s 1999 flood. J Trauma Stress. 2004;17(4):283–292.PubMedCrossRef

10.

Holbrook TL, Hoyt DB, Stein MB, Sieber WJ. Gender differences in long-term posttraumatic stress disorder outcomes after major trauma: women are at higher risk of adverse outcomes than men. J Trauma. 2002;53(5):882–888.PubMedCrossRef

11.

Baker CK, Norris FH, Diaz DM, Perilla JL, Murphy AD, Hill EG. Violence and PTSD in Mexico: gender and regional differences. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2005;40(7):519–528.PubMedCrossRef

12.

Mezey G, Bacchus L, Bewley S, White S. Domestic violence, lifetime trauma and psychological health of childbearing women. BJOG. 2005;112(2):197–204.PubMedCrossRef

13.

Breslau N. Epidemiologic studies of trauma, posttraumatic stress disorder, and other psychiatric disorders. Can J Psychiatry. 2002;47(10):923–929.PubMed

14.

Noll JG, Horowitz LA, Bonanno GA, Trickett PK, Putnam FW. Revictimization and self-harm in females who experienced childhood sexual abuse: results from a prospective study. J Interpers Violence. 2003;18(12):1452–1471.PubMedCrossRef

15.

Kaplow JB, Dodge KA, maya-Jackson L, Saxe GN. Pathways to PTSD, part II: sexually abused children. Am J Psychiatry. 2005;162(7):1305–1310.PubMedCrossRef

16.

Basile KC, Arias I, Desai S, Thompson MP. The differential association of intimate partner physical, sexual, psychological, and stalking violence and posttraumatic stress symptoms in a nationally representative sample of women. J Trauma Stress. 2004;17(5):413–421.PubMedCrossRef

17.

Campbell DG, Felker BL, Liu CF, et al. Prevalence of depression-PTSD comorbidity: implications for clinical practice guidelines and primary care-based interventions. J Gen Intern Med. 2007;22(6):711–718.PubMedCrossRef

18.

Gillock KL, Zayfert C, Hegel MT, Ferguson RJ. Posttraumatic stress disorder in primary care: prevalence and relationships with physical symptoms and medical utilization. Gen Hosp Psych. 2005;27(6):392–399.CrossRef

19.

Alim TN, Graves E, Mellman TA, et al. Trauma exposure, posttraumatic stress disorder and depression in an African-American primary care population. J Natl Med Assoc. 2006;98(10):1630–1636.PubMed

20.

Frayne SM, Seaver MR, Loveland S, et al. Burden of medical illness in women with depression and posttraumatic stress disorder. Arch Intern Med. 2004;164(12):1306–1312.PubMedCrossRef

21.

Dobie DJ, Kivlahan DR, Maynard C, Bush KR, Davis TM, Bradley KA. Posttraumatic stress disorder in female veterans: association with self-reported health problems and functional impairment. Arch Intern Med. 2004;164(4):394–400.PubMedCrossRef

22.

Walker EA, Katon W, Russo J, Ciechanowski P, Newman E, Wagner AW. Health care costs associated with posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms in women. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2003;60(4):369–374.PubMedCrossRef

23.

Ciechanowski PS, Walker EA, Russo JE, Newman E, Katon WJ. Adult health status of women HMO members with posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms. Gen Hosp Psych. 2004;26(4):261–268.CrossRef

24.

Spiro A III, Hankin CS, Mansell D, Kazis LE. Posttraumatic stress disorder and health status: the veterans health study. J Ambul Care Manage. 2006;29(1):71–86.PubMed

25.

Sareen J, Cox BJ, Stein MB, Afifi TO, Fleet C, Asmundson GJ. Physical and mental comorbidity, disability, and suicidal behavior associated with posttraumatic stress disorder in a large community sample. Psychosom Med. 2007;69(3):242–248.PubMedCrossRef

26.

Breslau N, Lucia VC, Davis GC. Partial PTSD versus full PTSD: an empirical examination of associated impairment. Psychol Med. 2004;34(7):1205–1214.PubMedCrossRef

27.

Lipschitz DS, Rasmusson AM, Anyan W, Cromwell P, Southwick SM. Clinical and functional correlates of posttraumatic stress disorder in urban adolescent girls at a primary care clinic. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psych. 2000;39(9):1104–1111.CrossRef

28.

Schwartz AC, Bradley RL, Sexton M, Sherry A, Ressler KJ. Posttraumatic stress disorder among African Americans in an inner city mental health clinic. Psychiatr Serv. 2005;56(2):212–215.PubMedCrossRef

29.

Kuruvilla A, Jacob KS. Poverty, social stress & mental health. Indian J Med Res. 2007;126(4):273–278.PubMed

30.

Kubany ES, Leisen MB, Kaplan AS, Kelly MP. Validation of a brief measure of posttraumatic stress disorder: the Distressing Event Questionnaire (DEQ). Psychol Assess. 2000;12(2):197–209.PubMedCrossRef

31.

Zimmerman M, Sheeran T, Young D. The diagnostic inventory for depression: a self-report scale to diagnose DSM-IV major depressive disorder. J Clin Psychol. 2004;60(1):87–110.PubMedCrossRef

32.

Foa EB, Tolin DF. Comparison of the PTSD symptom scale-interview version and the clinician-administered PTSD scale. J Trauma Stress. 2000;13(2):181–191.PubMedCrossRef

33.

Weisberg RB, Bruce SE, Machan JT, Kessler RC, Culpepper L, Keller MB. Nonpsychiatric illness among primary care patients with trauma histories and posttraumatic stress disorder. Psychiatr Serv. 2002;53(7):848–854.PubMedCrossRef

34.

McQuaid JR, Pedrelli P, McCahill ME, Stein MB. Reported trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder and major depression among primary care patients. Psychol Med. 2001;31(7):1249–1257.PubMedCrossRef

35.

Gomez-Beneyto M, Salazar-Fraile J, Marti-Sanjuan V, Gonzalez-Lujan L. Posttraumatic stress disorder in primary care with special reference to personality disorder comorbidity. Br J Gen Pract. 2006;56(526):349–354.PubMed

36.

Stein MB, McQuaid JR, Pedrelli P, Lenox R, McCahill ME. Posttraumatic stress disorder in the primary care medical setting. Gen Hosp Psych. 2000;22(4):261–269.CrossRef

37.

Bruce SE, Weisberg RB, Dolan RT, et al. Trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder in primary care patients. Prim Care Companion J Clin Psychiat. 2001;3(5):211–217.

38.

Liebschutz J, Saitz R, Brower V, et al. PTSD in urban primary care: high prevalence and low physician recognition. J Gen Intern Med. 2007;22(6):719–726.PubMedCrossRef

39.

Frans O, Rimmo PA, Aberg L, Fredrikson M. Trauma exposure and post-traumatic stress disorder in the general population. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2005;111(4):291–299.PubMedCrossRef

40.

Bradley R, Schwartz AC, Kaslow NJ. Posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms among low-income, African American women with a history of intimate partner violence and suicidal behaviors: self-esteem, social support, and religious coping. J Trauma Stress. 2005;18(6):685–696.PubMedCrossRef

41.

Filipas HH, Ullman SE. Child sexual abuse, coping responses, self-blame, posttraumatic stress disorder, and adult sexual revictimization. J Interpers Violence. 2006;21(5):652–672.PubMedCrossRef

42.

Myers HF, Wyatt GE, Loeb TB, et al. Severity of child sexual abuse, post-traumatic stress and risky sexual behaviors among HIV-positive women. AIDS Behav. 2006;10(2):191–199.PubMedCrossRef

43.

Banyard VL, Williams LM, Siegel JA. Re-traumatization among adult women sexually abused in childhood: exploratory analyses in a prospective study. J Child Sex Abuse. 2002;11(3):19–48.CrossRef

44.

Sher L. The concept of post-traumatic mood disorder. Med Hypotheses. 2005;65(2):205–210.PubMedCrossRef

45.

Ouimette P, Cronkite R, Henson BR, Prins A, Gima K, Moos RH. Posttraumatic stress disorder and health status among female and male medical patients. J Trauma Stress. 2004;17(1):1–9.PubMedCrossRef

46.

Mollica RF, McInnes K, Sarajlic N, Lavelle J, Sarajlic I, Massagli MP. Disability associated with psychiatric comorbidity and health status in Bosnian refugees living in Croatia. JAMA. 1999;282(5):433–439.PubMedCrossRef

47.

Oquendo MA, Krunic A, Parsey RV, et al. Positron emission tomography of regional brain metabolic responses to a serotonergic challenge in major depressive disorder with and without borderline personality disorder. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2005;30(6):1163–1172.PubMedCrossRef

48.

Friedman MJ, Schnurr PP, Donagh-Coyle A. Post-traumatic stress disorder in the military veteran. Psychiatr Clin North Am. 1994;17(2):265–277.PubMed

49.

Gerrity MS, Corson K, Dobscha SK. Screening for posttraumatic stress disorder in VA primary care patients with depression symptoms. J Gen Intern Med. 2007;22(9):1321–1324.PubMedCrossRef

50.

Breslau N, Peterson EL, Poisson LM, Schultz LR, Lucia VC. Estimating post-traumatic stress disorder in the community: lifetime perspective and the impact of typical traumatic events. Psychol Med. 2004;34(5):889–898.PubMedCrossRef

51.

Breslau N, Anthony JC. Gender differences in the sensitivity to posttraumatic stress disorder: an epidemiological study of urban young adults. J Abnorm Psychology. 2007;116(3):607–611.CrossRef

52.

Vieweg WV, Julius DA, Fernandez A, Beatty-Brooks M, Hettema JM, Pandurangi AK. Posttraumatic stress disorder: clinical features, pathophysiology, and treatment. Am J Med. 2006;119(5):383–390.PubMedCrossRef

53.

Bisson J, Andrew M. Psychological treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2007;(3):CD003388.PubMed

54.

Glass N, Perrin N, Campbell JC, Soeken K. The protective role of tangible support on post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms in urban women survivors of violence. Res Nurs Health. 2007;30(5):558–568.PubMedCrossRef

55.

Arnette NC, Mascaro N, Santana MC, Davis S, Kaslow NJ. Enhancing spiritual well-being among suicidal African American female survivors of intimate partner violence. J Clin Psychol. 2007;63(10):909–924.PubMedCrossRef

56.

Amaro H, Dai J, Arevalo S, et al. Effects of integrated trauma treatment on outcomes in a racially/ethnically diverse sample of women in urban community-based substance abuse treatment. J Urban Health. 2007;84(4):508–522.PubMedCrossRef

57.

Cohen LR, Hien DA. Treatment outcomes for women with substance abuse and PTSD who have experienced complex trauma. Psychiatr Serv. 2006;57(1):100–106.PubMedCrossRef

Title: Experiences of Traumatic Events and Associations with PTSD and Depression Development in Urban Health Care-seeking Women
Authors: Jessica M. Gill
Gayle G. Page
Phyllis Sharps
Jacquelyn C. Campbell
Publication date: 01-09-2008
Publisher: Springer US
Published in: Journal of Urban Health / Issue 5/2008
Print ISSN: 1099-3460
Electronic ISSN: 1468-2869
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11524-008-9290-y

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Experiences of Traumatic Events and Associations with PTSD and Depression Development in Urban Health Care-seeking Women

Abstract

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 5/2008

Do Neighborhood Economic Characteristics, Racial Composition, and Residential Stability Predict Perceptions of Stress Associated with the Physical and Social Environment? Findings from a Multilevel Analysis in Detroit

The Public Hospital in American Medical Education

Can America’s Urban Safety Net Systems be a Solution to Unequal Treatment?

Health Through the Urban Lens

Neighborhood Racial/Ethnic Concentration, Social Disadvantage, and Homicide Risk: An Ecological Analysis of 10 U.S. Cities

Twinning, Cities, and Health: Opportunities Being Missed?