Post-traumatic stress disorder moderates the relationship between trauma exposure and chronic pain

Figures & data

Table 1. Prevalence of trauma exposure by gender.

Type of event	% reported having experienced	Men (N = 16)	Women (N = 26)
1. Natural disaster	2.3	6.3	3.7
2. Fire/explosion	16.3	12.5	18.5
3. Traffic accident	30.2	37.5	25.9
4. Accident at home/work	25.6	25.0	25.9
5. Exposure to poison	7.0	12.5	3.7
6. Physical attack	39.5	37.5	40.7
7. Assault with weapon	23.3*	18.8	25.9
8. Sexual abuse	37.2*	18.8**	48.1
9. Other sexual experience	11.6	6.3	14.8
10. War zone or battle experience	10.2*	6.3	3.7
11. Been taken hostage/POW	4.7	6.3	3.7
12. Life threatening disease/injury	34.9	43.8	29.6
13. Human suffering	9.3	12.5	7.4
14. Violent death	7.0	0	0
15. Sudden death	32.6*	12.5**	44.4
16. Caused injury other	11.6	18.8	7.4
17. Other stressor	23.3	25.0	22.2

*Significantly univariately related to PTSD, p < .05.

**Significant gender difference, p < .05.

Table 2. Sample characteristics and correlations.

	Mean and SD/
	prevalence	1	2	3	4	5
1. Pain severity	5.6 (1.3)	*
2. Trauma exposure total	13.4 (8.6)	.21*	*
3. Intentional trauma	5.8 (5.7)	.29*	.82***	*
4. Non-intent trauma	7.6 (5.1)	.14	.82***	.36***	*
5. PTSD	32.3%	.36**	.38***	.49***	.18	*
6. Depression	41.9%	.31*	.06	.03	.09	.20

Bivariate Ns range between 60 and 63; *p < 0.10, **p < .05, ***p < .01.

Table 3. Multiple regression predicting severity of pain.

	Predictor	β	Std error	Sig	Adj R^2
Model 1	Exposure	.18	.02	.18	.13
	PTSD	.29	.35	.03
Model 2	Non-intentional exposure	.10	.03	.41
	Intentional exposure	.11	.03	.44
	PTSD	.29	.37	.04	.11
Model 3	Exposure	−.02	.02	.87	.21
	PTSD	.23	.31	.04
	Exposure*PTSD	.41	.04	.01

Figure 1. Relationship between trauma exposure and pain severity by PTSD.

Footnote: r No-PTSD group = .03, p>.05; r PTSD group = .26, p>.05.