ABSTRACT
The association between exposure to potentially traumatic events without and with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and subjective health complaints (SHCs) in an East German sample was investigated. Using data from the Study of Health in Pomerania (N = 2,173), three groups were examined: no exposure (n = 1,050), exposure without PTSD (n = 1,091), and exposure with PTSD (n = 32). Multiple hierarchical linear and negative binomial regression were employed to compare the groups regarding total SHC score, eight SHC subscales (anxiety/depression, exhaustion, difficulty breathing, pain, sensory disturbances of the extremities, digestive trouble, nausea/weight loss, temperature sensitivity), and the number of substantial complaints. Individuals exposed to potentially traumatic events with and without subsequent PTSD reported higher levels for the total SHC score, all types of SHC, and a larger number of substantial complaints than people without exposure. Exposure with PTSD was associated with the highest total SHC score, the number of substantial complaints, and the highest scores regarding several types of SHC. These findings improve our understanding of the clinical picture of people with potentially traumatic experiences and PTSD. It allows general practitioners and psychotherapists a more targeted treatment of their patients (e.g., screening PTSD patients for subjective complaints).
