A Comparative Analysis of Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome among Individuals Exposed to Different Stressor Events

Authors

John P. Wilson, Cleveland State University
W. Ken Smith, Cleveland State University
Suzanne K. Johnson, Cleveland State University

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to compare post-traumatic stress syndrome among persons involved in nine different stressor events: combat in the Vietnam War; rape; serious life-threatening events; divorce; the death of a significant other; critical, near fatal illness of a significant other; family trauma; multiple traumatic events; and no stressful event. To assess the severity of the symptoms which define post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the Impact of Event Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory, the Stress Assessment Scale for PTSD from the Vietnam Era Stress Inventory (Wilson & Krauss, 1980) and the Sensation Seeking Scale were administered to the participants (N=409). A person by situation conceptual model of PTSD was presented from which two major hypotheses were tested. As predicted from the model, the degree of loss of a significant other and life-threat were predictive of syndromespecific symptoms of PTSD. The results of the study strongly support the heuristic value of an interactionist model of PTSD.

Recommended Citation

Wilson, John P.; Smith, W. Ken; and Johnson, Suzanne K. (1984) "A Comparative Analysis of Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome among Individuals Exposed to Different Stressor Events," The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare: Vol. 11: Iss. 4, Article 5.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15453/0191-5096.1677
Available at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw/vol11/iss4/5