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A person-centred approach to modelling population experiences of trauma and mental illness

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Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

Exposure to traumatic events has been implicated in the onset and development of a range of psychiatric disorders. People can be exposed to multiple traumatic events and previous research suggests that traumatic experiences may cluster at the individual level.

Methods

This study aimed to examine the distribution of traumatic experiences in a large nationally representative sample using latent class analysis, and estimate the relationship between these classes and a number of demographic and clinical variables. Data from the National Comorbidity Survey was used.

Results

Four latent classes, each representative of a range of traumatic experiences were identified. The classes were labelled ‘high risk’ (class 1), ‘exposure to non-sexual adult interpersonal/non-interpersonal trauma’ (class 2), ‘intermediate risk/sexual abuse’ (class 3), and ‘low risk’ (class 4). Each of the latent classes was predicted by several of the demographic variables. In addition, membership of classes 1, 2, and 3 increased the risk of each of the clinical variables.

Conclusions

The findings have clinical implications for the assessment of trauma histories across a range of psychiatric diagnoses.

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Notes

  1. Because of the clinical significance of PTSD in trauma-related research this diagnosis was entered as a covariate in the logistic regression analysis.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nottingham Trent University, Burton Street, Nottingham, NG1 4BU, UK

    James E. Houston & Jamie Murphy

  2. University of Ulster, Northland Road, Derry, Northern Ireland, BT48 7JL, UK

    Mark Shevlin & Gary Adamson

Authors
  1. James E. Houston
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  2. Mark Shevlin
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  3. Gary Adamson
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  4. Jamie Murphy
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Correspondence to James E. Houston.

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Houston, J.E., Shevlin, M., Adamson, G. et al. A person-centred approach to modelling population experiences of trauma and mental illness. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 46, 149–157 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-009-0176-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-009-0176-4

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