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An Investigation of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Depressive Symptomatology among Female Victimsof Interpersonal Trauma

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Abstract

This study examined factors associated with PTSD-depression comorbidity among a sample of 162 adult female rape or assault victims with PTSD, as well as potential differential predictors of PTSD and depression severity. PTSD-only participants reported higher levels of childhood sexual abuse than those with comorbid PTSD and depression, and the PTSD/MDD group reported relatively more distorted trauma-related beliefs, dissociation, PTSD severity, and depression severity. Distorted trauma-related beliefs and dissociation were the strongest unique predictors of higher PTSD and depressive symptoms. Rates of PTSD and depression comorbidity did not appear to be a function of symptom overlap. Study findings suggest possible explanations for the high PTSD and depression comorbidity rates commonly found among victims of interpersonal violence.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System (116B-2), 150 South Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02130, USA

    Casey T. Taft, Patricia A. Resick, Laura E. Watkins & Jillian Panuzio

  2. Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA

    Casey T. Taft & Patricia A. Resick

  3. Department of Psychology, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA

    Patricia A. Resick

  4. University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA

    Jillian Panuzio

Authors
  1. Casey T. Taft
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  2. Patricia A. Resick
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  3. Laura E. Watkins
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  4. Jillian Panuzio
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Correspondence to Casey T. Taft.

Additional information

This research was supported in part by a grant to Patricia A. Resick from the National Institute of Mental Health (R02-MH51509).

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Taft, C.T., Resick, P.A., Watkins, L.E. et al. An Investigation of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Depressive Symptomatology among Female Victimsof Interpersonal Trauma. J Fam Viol 24, 407–415 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-009-9243-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-009-9243-6

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