Physical comorbidities of post‐traumatic stress disorder in Australian Vietnam War veterans

McLeay, Sarah; Harvey, Wendy; Romaniuk, Madeline; Crawford, Darrell H. G.; Colquhoun, David; Young, Ross McD.; Dwyer, Miriam; Gibson, John M.; O’Sullivan, Robyn; Cooksley, Graham; Strakosch, C. R.; Thomson, Rachel; Voisey, Joanne; Lawford, Bruce R.

doi:10.5694/mja16.00935

Cited by 66 publications

(75 citation statements)

References 122 publications

(235 reference statements)

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“…Our findings demonstrate that the perception of cognitive impairment in patients with PTSD and pain is driven by perceived somatic burden, which some researchers contend has often been neglected in research, treatment, and diagnostic considerations (McFarlane, ). As trauma‐exposed patients with PTSD may incur somatic pathologies (e.g., metabolic syndrome, autoimmune diseases), somatic symptoms should be considered an integral component of trauma treatment (Carvajal, ; McLeay et al, ). Because PTSD is a “systemic disorder” (McFarlane, ) affecting critical biological functions, somatic symptoms are a direct result rather than secondary byproduct of trauma exposure.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Emerging evidence links PTSD symptoms to high “disease burden” due to the association with lasting changes in autonomic functioning, neurocircuitry, major organ systems, sleep, and early mortality (McLeay et al, ; O'Donovan et al, ; Yehuda et al, ). Disruptions in these systems may cause patients to experience general and unfamiliar somatic complaints (Gupta, ; McFarlane, ; Yehuda et al, ).…”

Section: Posttraumatic Stress Disordermentioning

confidence: 99%

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Somatic burden and perceived cognitive problems in trauma‐exposed adults with posttraumatic stress symptoms or pain

et al. 2019

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Objective Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with somatic and cognitive changes, which may be magnified when accompanied by persistent pain. The mechanisms of somatic sensation processing may extend to cognitive symptoms, revealing a potential generalization of impairment across cognitive and somatic domains in PTSD. We hypothesized that somatic burden would mediate relationships between PTSD, pain, and perceived cognitive impairment. Methods Two samples—360 trauma‐exposed college students and 268 mechanical Turk users—completed self‐report measures. Results Both samples revealed similar findings. There was a significant indirect effect of PTSD and pain on perceived cognitive problems through somatic burden. There remained a direct effect of PTSD symptoms. These findings indicate that in trauma‐exposed samples with pain, somatic burden rather than pain severity accounts for perceived cognitive problems. Conclusion High somatic burden may reflect an underlying appraisal about somatic cues, which extend in part to interpretation of cognitive cues.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Posttraumatic Stress Disordermentioning

confidence: 99%

Somatic burden and perceived cognitive problems in trauma‐exposed adults with posttraumatic stress symptoms or pain

et al. 2019

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“…Several studies in patients with PTSD investigated the prevalence of medical comorbidities (Kinzie et al, ; McLeay et al, ). Patients with PTSD have an increased risk of developing a variety of organic clinical conditions, including cardiovascular, respiratory, gastroenteric, and sleep disorders (McLeay et al, ; Rosenbaum et al, ; Sidney, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A comparison of physical comorbidities in patients with posttraumatic stress disorder developed after a terrorist attack or other traumatic event

Ferretti

Pozza

Bossini

et al. 2019

J of Neuroscience Research

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No study investigated whether the presence of specific medical comorbidities is associated with the type of traumatic event, in particular with terrorist attack (TA). In a group of subjects with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the current study investigated the association between the types of traumatic event (TA vs. other traumatic event [OTE]) and medical comorbidities, controlling for sex and PTSD duration. The Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview, the Clinician‐Administered PTSD Scale, and the Davidson Trauma Scale were administered to 84 subjects diagnosed with PTSD. Thirty‐nine were victims of TA and 45 victims of OTE. TA was associated with higher prevalence of neoplasms (β = 2.60, p = 0.02). Females were more protected than males from circulatory system comorbidities (β = 1.47, p = 0.04), while PTSD duration was associated with higher prevalence of such comorbidities (β = 0.005, p = 0.01). Females showed a higher prevalence of neoplasms than males (β = 2.50, p = 0.02). Female sex was protective against metabolic syndrome (β = −1.79, p = 0.02). Patients with PTSD due to TA and female patients should be considered for their higher prevalence of neoplasms, while male patients and those with higher symptom duration should be monitored for circulatory disease and metabolic syndrome. Symptom duration might be associated with circulatory and metabolic disease. Implications for tailored and timely psychopharmacological and psychotherapeutic intervention for PTSD are discussed focusing on these specific medical comorbidities.

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“…The study of a convenience sample of Australian Vietnam War veterans published in this edition of the MJA 6 explores in detail the somatic comorbidities of PTSD. McLeay and her co‐authors found that the relationship between PTSD, gastrointestinal disorders and abnormal respiratory function in veterans remained statistically significant even after controlling for factors known to be associated with chronic disease and early mortality in the absence of PTSD, such as higher body mass index, smoking, alcohol dependence, anxiety, and depression.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Post‐traumatic stress disorder is a systemic illness, not a mental disorder: is Cartesian dualism dead?

McFarlane

2017

Medical Journal of Australia

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Physical comorbidities of post‐traumatic stress disorder in Australian Vietnam War veterans

Cited by 66 publications

References 122 publications

Somatic burden and perceived cognitive problems in trauma‐exposed adults with posttraumatic stress symptoms or pain

Somatic burden and perceived cognitive problems in trauma‐exposed adults with posttraumatic stress symptoms or pain

A comparison of physical comorbidities in patients with posttraumatic stress disorder developed after a terrorist attack or other traumatic event

Post‐traumatic stress disorder is a systemic illness, not a mental disorder: is Cartesian dualism dead?

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