Latent Classes of PTSD Symptoms in Vietnam Veterans

Abstract

The authors examined heterogeneity in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom presentation among veterans (n = 335) participating in the clinical interview subsample of the National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study. Latent class analysis was used to identify clinically homogeneous subgroups of Vietnam War combat veterans. Consistent with previous research, three classes emerged from the analysis, namely, veterans with no disturbance (61.4% of the cohort), intermediate disturbance (25.6%), and pervasive disturbance (12.5%). The authors also examined physical injury, war-zone stressor exposure, peritraumatic dissociation, and general dissociation as predictors of class membership. The findings are discussed in the context of recent conceptual frameworks that posit a range of posttraumatic outcomes and highlight the sizable segment of military veterans who suffer from intermediate (subclinical) PTSD symptoms.