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Lifetime traumatic experiences and their impact on PTSD: a general population study

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Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objective

Exploring the relationship of exposure to a traumatic event and the subsequent onset of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the population.

Methods

Posttraumatic stress disorder was assessed using the Impact of Event Scale (IES), Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale (PDS) and interview data. Logistic regression analyses with sex, age, marital status, educational level and traumatic event characteristics were performed. Prevalences were standardised to the sex and age distribution of the German population.

Results

A total of 41 % of the subjects reported exposure to a trauma, leading to full PTSD in 1.7 % and to partial PTSD in 8.8 % of the participants. Logistic regression revealed accidents (OR 2.5, 95 % CI 1.3–4.7), nonsexual assault by known assailants (4.5, 2.1–9.8), combat/war experiences (5.9, 2.0–17.4), life-threatening illness (4.9, 2.7–8.9) and interpersonal conflicts (15.5, 2.5–96.0) as risk factors for full PTSD; risk factors for partial PTSD were accidents (3.2, 2.4–4.3), sexual (4.6, 2.2–9.6) or nonsexual (2.3, 1.4–3.8) assault by known assailants, life-threatening illness (6.2, 4.6–8.3), death of relatives (5.0, 3.2–7.8) and interpersonal conflicts (22.0, 8.3–58.1).

Conclusions

Of subjects exposed to traumatic events, only a minority developed PTSD indicating a relationship between characteristics of the exposure and the individual and the onset of PTSD.

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Acknowledgments

The KORA research platform and the KORA Augsburg studies are financed by the Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), which is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Technology and by the State of Bavaria. The authors would like to thank Jens Baumert (HMGU), Mike Bernhardt (MPI) and Klaus Strassburger (DDZ) for their statistical advice.

Conflict of interest

None declared.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Gießen, Friedrichstr. 33, 35392, Gießen, Germany

    Karoline Lukaschek & Johannes Kruse

  2. Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Baldingerstr., 35043, Marburg, Germany

    Johannes Kruse

  3. Institute of Epidemiology II, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Centre for Environmental Health, Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany

    Karoline Lukaschek, Rebecca Thwing Emeny, Maria Elena Lacruz, Alexander von Eisenhart Rothe & Karl-Heinz Ladwig

  4. Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Langerstr. 3, Munich, Germany

    Karl-Heinz Ladwig

Authors
  1. Karoline Lukaschek
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  2. Johannes Kruse
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Correspondence to Karl-Heinz Ladwig.

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For the KORA investigators.

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Lukaschek, K., Kruse, J., Emeny, R.T. et al. Lifetime traumatic experiences and their impact on PTSD: a general population study. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 48, 525–532 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-012-0585-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-012-0585-7

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