PERITRAUMATIC DISSOCIATION AND POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS IN MALE VIETNAM THEATER VETERANS

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the reliability and validity of a proposed measure of peritraumatic dissociation and, as p art of that effort, to determine the relationship between dissociative experiences during disturbing combat trauma and the subsequent develo pment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Method: A total of 251 male Vietnam theater veterans from the Clinical Examination Component of the National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study were examined to d etermine the relationship ow war zone stress exposure, retrospective r eports of dissociation during the most disturbing combat trauma events , and general dissociative tendencies with PTSD case determination. Re sults: The total score on the Peritraumatic Dissociation Experiences Q uestionnaire-Rater Version was strongly associated with level of postt raumatic stress symptoms, level of stress exposure, and general dissoc iative tendencies and weakly associated with general psychopathology s cales from the MMPI-2. Logistic regression analyses supported the incr emental value of dissociation during trauma, over and above the contri butions of level of war zone stress exposure and general dissociative tendencies, in accounting for PTSD case determination. Conclusions: Th ese results provide support for the reliability and validity of the Pe ritraumatic Dissociation Experiences Questionnaire-Rater Version and f or a trauma-dissociation linkage hypothesis: the greater the dissociat ion during traumatic stress exposure, the greater the likelihood of me eting criteria for current PTSD.