Skip to main page content

• HOME
• Current
• Archive
• Feedback
• Subscribe
• Help

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit an eLetter View responses Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by MOL, S. S. L. Articles by KNOTTNERUS, J. A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by MOL, S. S. L. Articles by KNOTTNERUS, J. A.

Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder after non-traumatic events: evidence from an open population study

Department of General Practice, Maastricht University, The Netherlands

ARNOUD ARNTZ, PhD

Department of Medical, Clinical and Experimental Psychology, Maastricht University, The Netherlands

JOB F.M. METSEMAKERS, PhD, GEERT-JAN DINANT, PhD, PAULINE A. P. VILTERS-VAN MONTFORT and J. ANDRÉ KNOTTNERUS, PhD

Department of General Practice, Maastricht University, The Netherlands

Correspondence: Dr Saskia S. L. Mol, Department of General Practice, Julius Centre, Stratenum 6.108, UMC Utrecht, Postbox 85060, 3508 AB Utrecht, The Netherlands. Tel: +31 30 253 8149; e-mail: s.s.l.mol{at}umcutrecht.nl

Declaration of interest None.

Background Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the only psychiatric condition that requires a specific event to have occurred for its diagnosis.

Aims To gather evidence from the adult general population on whether life events (e.g. divorce, unemployment) generate as many symptoms of post-traumatic stress as traumatic events (e.g. accidents, abuse).

Method Data on demographic characteristics and history of stressful events were collected through a written questionnaire sent to a random sample of 2997 adults. Respondents also filled out a PTSD symptom checklist, keeping in mind their worst event. Mean PTSD scores were compared, controlling for differences between the two groups. Differences in item scores and in the distribution of the total PTSD scores were analysed.

Results Of the 1498 respondents, 832 were eligible for inclusion in our analysis. For events from the past 30 years the PTSD scores were higher after life events than after traumatic events; for earlier events the scores were the same for both types of events. These findings could not be explained by differences in demographics, history of stressful events, individual item scores, or the distribution of the total PTSD scores.

Conclusions Life events can generate at least as many PTSD symptoms as traumatic events. Our findings call for further studies on the specificity of traumatic events as a cause of PTSD.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. Shora, E. Stone, and K. Fletcher Substance use disorders and psychological trauma Psychiatr. Bull., July 1, 2009; 33(7): 257 - 260. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. TYRER The British Journal of Psychiatry, June 1, 2007; 190(6): 546 - 546. [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. S. L. Mol, A. Arntz, J. F. M. Metsemakers, G.-J. Dinant, P. A. P. Vilters-van Monfort, and J. A. Knottnerus Authors' reply The British Journal of Psychiatry, March 1, 2006; 188(3): 291 - 291. [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. TYRER The British Journal of Psychiatry, March 1, 2006; 188(3): 300 - 300. [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Ben-Ezra and D. Aluf Traumatic events v. life events: does it really matter? The British Journal of Psychiatry, January 1, 2006; 188(1): 83 - 84. [Full Text] [PDF]

				PTSD Symptoms Occur After Nontraumatic Events Journal Watch Psychiatry, August 3, 2005; 2005(803): 1 - 1. [Full Text]

				Minerva BMJ, June 11, 2005; 330(7504): 1398 - 1398. [Full Text] [PDF]

eLetters: