Relations between PTSD and Depression Symptom Clusters in Samples Differentiated by PTSD Diagnostic Status

Publication date: Available online 16 August 2018Source: Journal of Anxiety DisordersAuthor(s): Ateka A. Contractor, Talya Greene, Megan Dolan, Jon D. ElhaiAbstractCo-occurring posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression following traumatic experiences are cumulatively associated with functional impairment. To examine mechanisms for the PTSD-depression comorbidity, we investigated their cluster-level associations. Using data obtained from Amazon’s Mechanical Turk platform, 368 trauma-exposed participants were split into two subsamples: those with (n = 163) and without (n = 185) probable PTSD. In both subsamples, confirmatory factor analyses indicated an optimal seven-factor PTSD Hybrid Model. Results of Wald tests of parameter constraints indicated that, in both subsamples, PTSD’s dysphoric arousal cluster strongly related to somatic depression compared to all/most other Hybrid Model clusters. Additionally, in both subsamples, PTSD’s negative affect, externalizing behaviors, and anhedonia clusters each strongly related to non-somatic depression compared to PTSD’s anxious arousal cluster. Our results indicate that PTSD’s dysphoric arousal symptoms mainly account for PTSD’s shared variance with somatic depression, while the negative alterations in cognitions and mood (NACM)/dysphoria and arousal symptoms (primarily externalizing behaviours) mainly account for PTSD’s shared variance with non-somatic depression. Our findings have implications for the...
Source: Journal of Anxiety Disorders - Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research