Is life stress more traumatic than traumatic stress?

• DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2004.06.002
• Publication Date: 2004-08-05T08:22:06Z
• Authors: Sari D. Gold; Brian P. Marx; Jose M. Soler-Baillo; Denise M. Sloan
• Keywords: Male; Analysis of Variance; Adolescent; 05 social sciences; Reproducibility of Results; Severity of Illness Index; 3. Good health; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; Life Change Events; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic; Cross-Sectional Studies; New England; Humans; Female; 0501 psychology and cognitive sciences

This study explored the definition of a traumatic stressor, as it currently stands in the DSM-IV-TR, and the relationship between this definition and psychological symptomatology. Four hundred and fifty-four college undergraduates completed measures assessing psychopathology and exposure to trauma. Individuals were then divided into two groups, those who reported a traumatic event that was consistent with the DSM Criterion A1 definition and those who reported a traumatic event that was inconsistent with the definition. Surprisingly, the latter group reported significantly greater severity of PTSD symptomatology than those who reported a Criterion A1 PTSD event. In addition, significantly more people in the DSM trauma-incongruent group met criteria for PTSD than those in the DSM trauma-congruent group. Nearly two-thirds of the DSM trauma-incongruent group identified the death or illness of a loved one as their traumatic experience. The results are discussed within the context of the ongoing controversy over PTSD Criterion A1.