POSTTRAUMATIC-STRESS-DISORDER IN VETERANS WITH SPINAL-CORD INJURY - TRAUMA-RELATED RISK-FACTORS

Trauma-related risk factors for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) w ere examined in a sample of 125 veterans with spinal cord injury. Cate gory of injury was found to be the most consistent predictor of PTSD d iagnosis and symptom severity with paraplegia predicting more PTSD sym ptoms than quadriplegia. The occurrence of a head injury at the time o f the trauma was found to predict PTSD symptom severity measures, but not PTSD diagnosis. Trauma recency consistently predicted Impact of Ev ent score (IES) and was found to be related to current PTSD severity a nd lifetime PTSD diagnosis in multiple but not simple regression model s. Trauma severity was found to be significantly related to self-repor ted PTSD symptoms and lifetime PTSD diagnosis in simple but not in mul tiple regression analyses. Type of trauma, alcohol or other drug (AOD) use during the trauma and loss of consciousness (LOC) during the trau ma were not consistently associated with PTSD symptom severity or diag nosis.