Peritraumatic Dissociation and Peritraumatic Emotional Predictors of PTSD in Latino Youth: Results from the Hispanic Family Study

Abstract

This is the 1st study to examine peritraumatic dissociation and peritraumatic emotions as they predict symptoms and diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in Latino youth. Our aim was to test the hypothesis that the degree of peritraumatic dissociation would predict the number of PTSD symptoms and PTSD clinical diagnosis when the influences of other salient factors were statistically controlled. We also explored the possible contributions of peritraumatic emotional responses to PTSD symptomatology and PTSD diagnosis. We expected that peritraumatic dissociation would emerge as a significant predictor of PTSD. A total of 204 Latino youth (mean age = 12.37 years) completed semistructured individual clinical interviews with bilingual research assistants. These interviews assessed trauma exposure, peritraumatic responses, and current psychopathology. A linear regression analysis demonstrated significant relationships between lifetime number of traumatic events, peritraumatic dissociation, shame, and number of PTSD symptoms endorsed. Significant inverse (protective) relationships were demonstrated between anger and guilt and current PTSD symptomatology. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated significant relationships between peritraumatic dissociation, shame, lifetime number of traumatic events experienced, and PTSD diagnosis. The analyses examined both the number of PTSD symptoms as well as diagnosis of PTSD while simultaneously controlling for age, lifetime exposure to traumatic events, time residing in the United States, and gender. These results support an increasingly robust body of empirical literature suggesting that the peritraumatic dissociative and emotional responses to trauma are important predictors of future PTSD diagnosis. Possible cultural factors contributing to the dissociative responses in Latino youth and clinical implications are discussed.

Keywords:

• peritraumatic dissociation
• PTSD
• Latino
• youth
• shame

Acknowledgments

The research was supported by Grant K01 MH001815-01 (principal investigator [PI]: M. A. de Arellano) from the National Institutes of Health awarded to Michael A. de Arellano. The preparation of this article was supported by the Young Scientist Award from the University of Virginia School of Medicine (PI: D. A. Vásquez) and Grants T32 MH18869-23 (PI: D. G. Kilpatrick) from the National Institute of Mental Health and D40HP19640 (PI: A. J. Bridges) from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in support of Kathryn Reid-Quiñones and Ana J. Bridges, respectively.

Desi Alonzo Vásquez is now at the South Texas Veterans Health Care System, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.

The opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of either U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The authors thank Dr. Michele Mick for her insightful comments on drafts of this article.