Conclusion : Combinations of peri- and post-injury factors appear to be influential in the development of PTSD among persons with SCI .
Objectives : To summarise quantitatively the available evidence relating to pretraumatic , peritraumatic and posttraumatic characteristics that may increase or decrease the risk of developing posttraumatic stress disorder ( PTSD ) following spinal cord injury ( SCI ) .
Previous exposure to trauma and PTSD effects of subsequent trauma: results from the Detroit Area Survey of Trauma.
OBJECTIVE With the exception of a few reports of higher rates of childhood trauma in Vietnam veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder ( PTSD ) , little is known about the influence of previous exposure to trauma on the PTSD effects of subsequent trauma . The authors examine interrelated questions about the effects of previous exposure to trauma . METHOD A representative sample of 2,181 individuals in southeast Michigan were interviewed by telephone  to record  lifetime history of traumatic events specified in DSM-IV as potentially leading to PTSD . PTSD was assessed with respect to a r and omly selected index trauma from the list of events reported by each respondent . RESULTS History of any previous exposure to traumatic events was associated with a greater risk of PTSD from the index trauma . Multiple previous events had a stronger effect than a single previous event . The effect of previous assaultive violence persisted over time with little change . When they examined several features of the previous exposure to trauma , the authors found that subjects who experienced multiple events involving assaultive violence in childhood were more likely to experience PTSD from trauma in adulthood . Furthermore , previous events involving assaultive violence -- single or multiple , in childhood or later on -- were associated with a higher risk of PTSD in adulthood . CONCLUSIONS Previous exposure to trauma signals a greater risk of PTSD from subsequent trauma . Although these results are consistent with a sensitization hypothesis , like the results from previous research on PTSD , they do not address the mechanism of increased responsivity to trauma . Long-term observational studies can further eluci date these observations
Conclusion : Combinations of peri- and post-injury factors appear to be influential in the development of PTSD among persons with SCI .
Objectives : To summarise quantitatively the available evidence relating to pretraumatic , peritraumatic and posttraumatic characteristics that may increase or decrease the risk of developing posttraumatic stress disorder ( PTSD ) following spinal cord injury ( SCI ) .