Posttraumatic stress disorder and extent of trauma exposure as correlates of medical problems and perceived health among women with childhood abuse

This study examined the relative contributions of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms and the extent of trauma exposure as factors contributing to the current health status of childhood abuse survivors. Sixty-seven women with a history of familial childhood abuse (sexual and/or physical) and twenty-nine women with no abuse history were assessed on two distinct aspects of health status: reported number of medical problems and perceptions of overall health. Women with abuse were found to have a greater number of medical problems and poorer perceived physical well-being than the no abuse comparison group. Regression analyses of the women with abuse histories revealed that trauma exposure was a stronger predictor than PTSD symptoms of medical problems. PTSD symptoms, however, were better predictors of the experience of physical well-being than trauma exposure. These results suggest that the nature of a traumatic exposure, especially when there is repeated, cumulative trauma may be more significant to medical problems than the psychological symptoms of PTSD. Perceived health, however, appears to he predominantly influenced by psychological factors, suggesting the importance of these variables in the quality of life of multiply traumatized women. (C) 2001 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.