Taxometric Investigation of PTSD: Data From Two Nationally Representative Samples

Authors

Joshua J. Broman-Fulks, Appalachian State University
Kenneth J. Ruggiero, Medical University of South Carolina
Bradley A. Green, University of Southern MississippiFollow
Dean G. Kilpatrick, Medical University of South Carolina
Carla Kmett Danielson, Medical University of South Carolina
Heidi S. Resnick, Medical University of South Carolina
Benjamin E. Saunders, Medical University of South Carolina

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2006

Department

Psychology

Abstract

Current psychiatric nosology depicts posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a discrete diagnostic category. However, only one study has examined the latent structure of PTSD, and this study suggested that PTSD may be more accurately conceptualized as an extreme reaction to traumatic life events rather than a discrete clinical syndrome. To build on the existing literature base, the present research examined the latent structure of posttraumatic stress reactions by applying three taxometric procedures (MAXEIG, MAMBAC, and L-Mode) to data collected from large nationally representative samples of women (ns = 2684 and 3033) and adolescents (n = 3775). Results consistently provided evidence for a dimensional PTSD solution across samples and statistical procedures. These findings have important implications for the theory, assessment, and investigation of posttraumatic stress reactions.

Comments

Publisher's Version

Publication Title

Behaviour Therapy

Volume

37

Issue

4

First Page

364

Last Page

380

Recommended Citation

Broman-Fulks, J., Ruggiero, K. J., Green, B. A., Kilpatrick, D. G., Danielson, C. K., Resnick, H. S., Saunders, B. E. (2006). Taxometric Investigation of PTSD: Data From Two Nationally Representative Samples. Behaviour Therapy, 37(4), 364-380.
Available at: https://aquila.usm.edu/fac_pubs/2151