A person-centered analysis of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms following a natural disaster: Predictors of latent class membership

Abstract

The present study applied latent class analysis to a sample of 810 participants residing in southern Mississippi at the time of Hurricane Katrina to determine if people would report distinct, meaningful PTSD symptom classes following a natural disaster. We found a four-class solution that distinguished persons on the basis of PTSD symptom severity/pervasiveness (Severe, Moderate, Mild, and Negligible Classes). Multinomial logistic regression models demonstrated that membership in the Severe and Moderate Classes was associated with potentially traumatic hurricane-specific experiences (e.g., being physically injured, seeing dead bodies), pre-hurricane traumatic events, co-occurring depression symptom severity and suicidal ideation, certain religious beliefs, and post-hurricane stressors (e.g., social support). Collectively, the findings suggest that more severe/pervasive typologies of natural disaster PTSD may be predicted by the frequency and severity of exposure to stressful/traumatic experiences (before, during, and after the disaster), co-occurring psychopathology, and specific internal beliefs.

Similarity in symptom patterns of posttraumatic stress among disaster-survivors: a three-step latent profile analysis

“…This is congruent with a study from Hebenstreit et al (2015) that found five classes with similar symptomatic patterns, with two classes distinguished by elevated levels of hypervigilance. Rosellini et al (2014) found four classes with profiles similar to this study, also primarily characterized by differences in severity and pervasiveness. In that study, the patterns indicated that only the severe class had a high likelihood of experiencing avoidance/numbing symptoms.…”

“…There is support for diverse subtypes of such manifestations, although it is unclear what factors influence symptom presentations and if they are relevant to the course of the disorder (Breslau, Reboussin, Anthony, & Storr, 2005). One possibility is that variations in exposure and secondary stressors may lead to differences in symptom presentation, and that these presentations differ in the persistence of the symptoms (Grimm, Hulse, Preiss, & Schmidt, 2012; Rosellini, Coffey, Tracy, & Galea, 2014). …”

“…Neither of the above studies examined the presence of subtypes based on item-level scores. Rosellini et al (2014), however, examined item-level subtypes in sample of adults exposed to Hurricane Katrina and found support for a four-class solution, with classes differing mainly in symptom severity. Participants in all classes had a high likelihood of endorsing intrusion and hyperarousal symptoms whereas only the group with severe symptoms had a high likelihood of endorsing avoidance/numbing symptoms and of fulfilling PTSD criteria.…”

“…Participants in all classes had a high likelihood of endorsing intrusion and hyperarousal symptoms whereas only the group with severe symptoms had a high likelihood of endorsing avoidance/numbing symptoms and of fulfilling PTSD criteria. In addition, the study found that membership in the severe class was associated with a higher degree of hurricane exposure (Rosellini et al, 2014). These results suggest that experiences during the event are predictive of different symptom profiles.…”

Patterns of DSM-5 posttraumatic stress disorder and depression symptoms in an epidemiological sample of Chinese earthquake survivors: A latent profile analysis

“…Rosellini et al, 2014). Nevertheless, although overall depression symptom severity was able to differentiate between subgroups, only depressive affect and somatic complaints, but not positive affect and interpersonal problems, could distinguish one subgroup from another, indicating that the patterns of depression symptoms were not completely parallel across four factors.…”