Posttraumatic stress disorder and functional impairment among World Trade Center Health Registry enrollees 14 –15 years after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks

This study aimed to identify predictors of functional impairment in individuals with low versus high PTSD symptom severity levels. WTC Health Registry enrollees exposed to 9/11 were surveyed four times between 2003 and 2015; cumulated data for individuals who endorsed at least one symptom on the PTSD Checklist –Civilian Version (PCL-C) at Wave 4 (2015–2016) were included (N = 30,287) and examined cross-sectionally. Individuals were classified based on PCL-C scores as having low/no (2 –29) or high levels of PTSD symptom severity (≥ 44). Functional impairment was defined as subsequent difficulties in daily living. Among low/no PTSD severity participants, adjusted odds ratios (aORs) for the associations between functional impairment and poor self-rated health (vs. good), low social support (vs. high), and no physical activity (vs. active) were 1.23 –1.92. In the same group, low versus high household income was associated with more functional impairment, aOR = 1.34, 95% CI [1.13, 1.59]. Among participants with high-level PTSD symptoms, women, aOR = 1.70, 95% CI [1.31, 2.20], and Hispanic enrollees, aOR = 1.76, 95% CI [1.31, 2.36], were more likely to report an absence of impairment. Self-rated health, social support, and physical activity emerged as important predictors of PTSD-related functional impairment across PTSD symptom severity levels, supporting clinical interventions targeting these factors.
Source: Journal of Traumatic Stress - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: RESEARCH ARTICLE Source Type: research