Childhood adversities and post-traumatic stress disorder: evidence for stress sensitisation in the World Mental Health Surveys. (November 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: McLaughlin, Katie A.; Koenen, Karestan C.; Bromet, Evelyn J.; Karam, Elie G.; Liu, Howard; Petukhova, Maria; Ruscio, Ayelet Meron; Sampson, Nancy A.; Stein, Dan J.; Aguilar-Gaxiola, Sergio; Alonso, Jordi; Borges, Guilherme; Demyttenaere, Koen; Dinolova, Rumyana V.; Ferry, Finola; Florescu, Silvia; de Girolamo, Giovanni; Gureje, Oye; Kawakami, Norito; Lee, Sing; Navarro-Mateu, Fernando; Piazza, Marina; Pennell, Beth-Ellen; Posada-Villa, José; ten Have, Margreet; Viana, Maria Carmen; Kessler, Ronald C.
• Is Part Of: British journal of psychiatry. Volume 211:Number 5(2017)
• Page Start: 280
• Page End: 288
• Publication Date: 2017-11
• Subjects: Psychiatry -- Periodicals; Psychology, Pathological -- Periodicals; 616.89005
• DOI: 10.1192/bjp.bp.116.197640
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0007-1250

Abstract

Abstract : Background: Although childhood adversities are known to predict increased risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after traumatic experiences, it is unclear whether this association varies by childhood adversity or traumatic experience types or by age. Aims: To examine variation in associations of childhood adversities with PTSD according to childhood adversity types, traumatic experience types and life-course stage. Method: Epidemiological data were analysed from the World Mental Health Surveys ( n = 27017). Results: Four childhood adversities (physical and sexual abuse, neglect, parent psychopathology) were associated with similarly increased odds of PTSD following traumatic experiences (odds ratio (OR)=1.8), whereas the other eight childhood adversities assessed did not predict PTSD. Childhood adversity–PTSD associations did not vary across traumatic experience types, but were stronger in childhood-adolescence and early-middle adulthood than later adulthood. Conclusions: Childhood adversities are differentially associated with PTSD, with the strongest associations in childhood-adolescence and early-middle adulthood. Consistency of associations across traumatic experience types suggests that childhood adversities are associated with generalised vulnerability to PTSD following traumatic experiences.