Disorders of Extreme Stress (DESNOS) Symptoms Are Associated With Type and Severity of Interpersonal Trauma Exposure in a Sample of Healthy Young Women

• NCJ Number: 235263
• Journal: Journal of Interpersonal Violence Volume: 21 Issue: 11 Dated: November 2006 Pages: 1399-1416
• Author(s): Julian D. Ford; Patricia Stockton; Stacey Kaltman; Bonnie L. Green
• Date Published: November 2006
• Length: 18 pages
• Grant Number(s): RO1 MH50332; MH01889-01A
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute of Mental Health
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This article discusses the effects of childhood abuse among young adults.

Abstract

Childhood abuse and other developmentally adverse interpersonal traumas may put young adults at risk not only for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) but also for impairment in affective, cognitive, biological, and relational self-regulation ("disorders of extreme stress not otherwise specified"; DESNOS). Structured clinical interviews with 345 sophomore college women, most of whom (84 percent) had experienced at least one traumatic event, indicated that the DESNOS syndrome was rare (1 percent prevalence), but DESNOS symptoms were reported by a majority of respondents. Controlling for PTSD and other anxiety or affective disorders, DESNOS symptom severity was associated with a history of single-incident interpersonal trauma and with more severe interpersonal trauma in a dose-response manner. Noninterpersonal trauma was associated with elevated prevalence of PTSD and dissociation but not with DESNOS severity. Study findings indicate that persistent posttraumatic problems with self-regulation warrant attention, even in relatively healthy young adult populations. (Published Abstract)