Posttraumatic stress disorder and extent of trauma exposure as correlates of medical problems and perceived health among women with childhood abuse

This study examined the relative contributions of Posttraumatic Stress Diso rder (PTSD) symptoms and the extent of trauma exposure as factors contribut ing to the current health status of childhood abuse survivors. Sixty-seven women with a history of familial childhood abuse (sexual and/or physical) a nd twenty-nine women with no abuse history were assessed on two distinct as pects of health status: reported number of medical problems and perceptions of overall health. Women with abuse were found to have a greater number of medical problems and poorer perceived physical well-being than the no abus e comparison group. Regression analyses of the women with abuse histories r evealed that trauma exposure was a stronger predictor than PTSD symptoms of medical problems. PTSD symptoms, however, were better predictors of the ex perience of physical well-being than trauma exposure. These results suggest that the nature of a traumatic exposure, especially when there is repeated , cumulative trauma may be more significant to medical problems than the ps ychological symptoms of PTSD. Perceived health, however, appears to he pred ominantly influenced by psychological factors, suggesting the importance of these variables in the quality of life of multiply traumatized women. (C) 2001 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.