PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Janet I. Warren
AU  - Ann Booker Loper
AU  - Irina Komarovskaya
TI  - Symptom Patterns Related to Traumatic Exposure Among Female Inmates With and Without a Diagnosis of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
DP  - 2009 Sep 01
TA  - Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Online
PG  - 294--305
VI  - 37
IP  - 3
4099  - http://jaapl.org/content/37/3/294.short
4100  - http://jaapl.org/content/37/3/294.full
SO  - J Am Acad Psychiatry Law2009 Sep 01; 37
AB  - Our study examines the trauma-related experiences of 203 female prison inmates, most of whom had experienced chronic trauma throughout their lives but among whom only 51 percent met diagnostic criteria for PTSD. We used the two groups to study differences in trauma exposure and pre-existent psychopathology as they related to the emergence of full diagnostic criteria for PTSD. We also used the entire sample to explore the factor structure and endorsement frequencies of each symptom category as it related to trauma exposure. Our analyses indicated that the PTSD group differed from the non-PTSD group in the number of life traumas each group had experienced and the pre-existence of borderline personality disorder. Five symptoms accurately differentiated the two groups, with an 86 percent correct classification: recurrent thoughts, amnesia, loss of interest, difficulty concentrating, and a heightened startle response. An exploratory factor analysis further suggested two primary factors: intrusion and arousal. We apply our findings to the naturalistic versus interactional debate surrounding the disorder and reflect on the endorsement frequencies as they might inform our understanding of malingering as it occurs in legal and forensic settings.