How to quantify exposure to traumatic stress? Reliability and predictive validity of measures for cumulative trauma exposure in a post-conflict population
Background: While studies with survivors of single traumatic experiences highlight individual response variation following trauma, research from conflict regions shows that almost everyone develops posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) if trauma exposure reaches extreme levels. Therefore, evaluating...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Taylor & Francis Group
2015-11-01
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| Series: | European Journal of Psychotraumatology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.ejpt.net/index.php/ejpt/article/view/28306/pdf_104 |
| _version_ | 1831771035476688896 |
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| author | Sarah Wilker Anett Pfeiffer Stephan Kolassa Daniela Koslowski Thomas Elbert Iris-Tatjana Kolassa |
| author_facet | Sarah Wilker Anett Pfeiffer Stephan Kolassa Daniela Koslowski Thomas Elbert Iris-Tatjana Kolassa |
| author_sort | Sarah Wilker |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: While studies with survivors of single traumatic experiences highlight individual response variation following trauma, research from conflict regions shows that almost everyone develops posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) if trauma exposure reaches extreme levels. Therefore, evaluating the effects of cumulative trauma exposure is of utmost importance in studies investigating risk factors for PTSD. Yet, little research has been devoted to evaluate how this important environmental risk factor can be best quantified. Methods: We investigated the retest reliability and predictive validity of different trauma measures in a sample of 227 Ugandan rebel war survivors. Trauma exposure was modeled as the number of traumatic event types experienced or as a score considering traumatic event frequencies. In addition, we investigated whether age at trauma exposure can be reliably measured and improves PTSD risk prediction. Results: All trauma measures showed good reliability. While prediction of lifetime PTSD was most accurate from the number of different traumatic event types experienced, inclusion of event frequencies slightly improved the prediction of current PTSD. Conclusions: As assessing the number of traumatic events experienced is the least stressful and time-consuming assessment and leads to the best prediction of lifetime PTSD, we recommend this measure for research on PTSD etiology. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T07:52:20Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6bda1a891caf417d978eedad7ea27465 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2000-8066 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T07:52:20Z |
| publishDate | 2015-11-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Journal of Psychotraumatology |
| spelling | doaj.art-6bda1a891caf417d978eedad7ea274652022-12-21T18:33:28ZengTaylor & Francis GroupEuropean Journal of Psychotraumatology2000-80662015-11-016011010.3402/ejpt.v6.2830628306How to quantify exposure to traumatic stress? Reliability and predictive validity of measures for cumulative trauma exposure in a post-conflict populationSarah Wilker0Anett Pfeiffer1Stephan Kolassa2Daniela Koslowski3Thomas Elbert4Iris-Tatjana Kolassa5 Clinical & Biological Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany Vivo International, Allensbach, Germany SAP Switzerland AG, Tägerwilen, Switzerland Clinical & Biological Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany Vivo International, Allensbach, Germany Clinical & Biological Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Ulm, GermanyBackground: While studies with survivors of single traumatic experiences highlight individual response variation following trauma, research from conflict regions shows that almost everyone develops posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) if trauma exposure reaches extreme levels. Therefore, evaluating the effects of cumulative trauma exposure is of utmost importance in studies investigating risk factors for PTSD. Yet, little research has been devoted to evaluate how this important environmental risk factor can be best quantified. Methods: We investigated the retest reliability and predictive validity of different trauma measures in a sample of 227 Ugandan rebel war survivors. Trauma exposure was modeled as the number of traumatic event types experienced or as a score considering traumatic event frequencies. In addition, we investigated whether age at trauma exposure can be reliably measured and improves PTSD risk prediction. Results: All trauma measures showed good reliability. While prediction of lifetime PTSD was most accurate from the number of different traumatic event types experienced, inclusion of event frequencies slightly improved the prediction of current PTSD. Conclusions: As assessing the number of traumatic events experienced is the least stressful and time-consuming assessment and leads to the best prediction of lifetime PTSD, we recommend this measure for research on PTSD etiology.http://www.ejpt.net/index.php/ejpt/article/view/28306/pdf_104Cumulative trauma exposureevent listreliabilitypredictive validityposttraumatic stress disorder |
| spellingShingle | Sarah Wilker Anett Pfeiffer Stephan Kolassa Daniela Koslowski Thomas Elbert Iris-Tatjana Kolassa How to quantify exposure to traumatic stress? Reliability and predictive validity of measures for cumulative trauma exposure in a post-conflict population European Journal of Psychotraumatology Cumulative trauma exposure event list reliability predictive validity posttraumatic stress disorder |
| title | How to quantify exposure to traumatic stress? Reliability and predictive validity of measures for cumulative trauma exposure in a post-conflict population |
| title_full | How to quantify exposure to traumatic stress? Reliability and predictive validity of measures for cumulative trauma exposure in a post-conflict population |
| title_fullStr | How to quantify exposure to traumatic stress? Reliability and predictive validity of measures for cumulative trauma exposure in a post-conflict population |
| title_full_unstemmed | How to quantify exposure to traumatic stress? Reliability and predictive validity of measures for cumulative trauma exposure in a post-conflict population |
| title_short | How to quantify exposure to traumatic stress? Reliability and predictive validity of measures for cumulative trauma exposure in a post-conflict population |
| title_sort | how to quantify exposure to traumatic stress reliability and predictive validity of measures for cumulative trauma exposure in a post conflict population |
| topic | Cumulative trauma exposure event list reliability predictive validity posttraumatic stress disorder |
| url | http://www.ejpt.net/index.php/ejpt/article/view/28306/pdf_104 |
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