Abstract
The 12-month and lifetime prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in different country populations has been assessed while using clinical interviews. Because this methodology is relatively time-consuming and resource-intensive, disaster health researchers adopted instruments, like the Trauma Screening Questionnaire (TSQ). This study (1) used the TSQ to estimate the lifetime prevalence of potentially traumatic events and other life events (PTE/OLEs) and the one-week prevalence of subsequent reactions indicative for PTSD (based on DSM-IV PTSD criteria) in The Netherlands and (2) investigated risk and protective factors for the development of PTSD to overcome the lack of baseline comparison data on general populations and subgroups. The data were derived from the Netherlands Mental Health Survey and Incidence Study-2 (NEMESIS-2), a representative study in the Dutch general population aged 18 to 64 years (N = 6646), using face-to-face interviews. Logistic regression modeling was used to assess PTSD correlates. The lifetime PTE/OLE prevalence was 71.1%. Among exposed subjects, one-week PTSD prevalence was estimated at 2.0%. The correlates of PTSD were female gender, Moroccan, or Turkish ethnicity, and exposure to sexual abuse and exposure time less than four years ago. The results are discussed in relation to earlier 12-month and lifetime general population prevalence of PTSD in the Netherlands and other countries, and TSQ-based disaster studies. General population replications can provide additional TSQ baseline data, and shed light on exposure and PTSD prevalence assessed with different instruments.
Highlights
Most people report at least one potentially traumatic event (PTE) during their lifetime
The objectives of this study are to estimate in the Dutch population: (1) the lifetime prevalence of exposure to potentially traumatic and other life events (PTEs/OLEs), categorized by type and gender, (2) the current prevalence of subsequent reactions indicative for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) categorized by type of event, and (3) the associations of risk and protective factors for the development of reactions that are indicative for PTSD
The estimated lifetime prevalence of exposure to potentially traumatic events according to DSM-IV criterion A was 43.8%
Summary
Most people report at least one potentially traumatic event (PTE) during their lifetime. Such an event has to refer to being exposed to actual or threatened death, severe injury, or sexual violence, according to the DSM-5 Criterion A. Rape, armed robbery, or traumatic loss of loved one. People may be seriously affected by other life events (OLEs), such as divorce or being fired. Benjet and colleagues reported that over 70% of the respondents were exposed to at least one PTE in their lifetime based on an analysis of 29 PTE types in 24 countries; 30.5% reported exposure to four or more. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 1725; doi:10.3390/ijerph17051725 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph
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