ptsd

Quasi-causal associations between chronotype and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms: A twin study

Objective: The evening (“night owl”) chronotype is associated with greater severity and lifetime prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms compared to morning or intermediate chronotypes. This twin study investigated the gene-environment relationships between chronotype, recent PTSD symptoms, and lifetime intrusive symptoms. Methods: We used the reduced Horne-Östberg Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (rMEQ) to assess chronotype in […]

Genetic and environmental influences on posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and disinhibited eating behaviors

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and eating disorders (ED) frequently co-occur, but the mechanisms underlying this association remain unclear. EDs are characterized by features of maladaptive eating behaviors including disinhibited eating and cognitive dietary restraint. Identifying the genetic overlap between PTSD symptoms and maladaptive eating behaviors may elucidate biological mechanisms and potential treatment targets. A community […]

Associations between changes in resilient coping and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms

The pervasive, damaging nature of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) presents enormous clinical challenges. Understanding the relationship between patients’ perceptions of PTSD symptoms and resilient coping strategies may prompt investigation of clinical interventions that improve adaptive, resilient coping skills. In this study, we examined whether changes in resilient coping were related to changes over time in […]

Insomnia and posttraumatic stress symptoms: Evidence of shared etiology

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and insomnia are comorbid clinical conditions that are thought to result from genetic and environmental effects. Though studies have established the heritability of these disorders independently, no study to date has examined the genetic contributions to the relation between insomnia and PTSD symptoms (PTSS). The present study assessed this gap in […]

Sleep Duration and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms: A Twin Study

Study Objectives: Long and short sleep duration are associated with greater risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); however, it is unknown how genetic and environmental influences impact this relationship. Thus, we investigated the association between sleep duration and PTSD symptoms using twin models. Methods: Data were obtained from 1,865 monozygotic and 758 dizygotic twin […]

Resilient Coping Moderates the Effect of Trauma Exposure on Depression

Posttraumatic depression rates are increasing in the United States, and there is a great need to identify malleable factors that could moderate posttraumatic depression levels. The purpose of this study was to examine whether resilient coping moderates the effects of trauma exposure on depression, while controlling for neuroticism-an established predictor of depressive symptoms. This study […]

The comorbidity of self-reported chronic fatigue syndrome, post-traumatic stress disorder, and traumatic symptoms

Background: Data from primary care and community samples suggest higher rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Objective: This study investigated the co-occurrence of CFS, PTSD, and trauma symptoms and assessed the contribution of familial factors to the association of CFS with lifetime PTSD and current traumatic symptoms. Method: Data on lifetime […]

Psychological distress in twins with urological symptoms

Objective: Interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome (IC/PBS) is a chronic pain condition with unclear underlying etiology. Our objectives were to determine whether psychological distress was higher in twins with urological symptoms commonly found in IC/PBS than in twins without, and if so, did familial influences contribute to this association. Method: Data from 1165 female twins in a community-based […]

Are post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms and temporomandibular pain associated? Findings from a community-based twin registry

Aims: To determine whether symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are related to the pain of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) in a community-based sample of female twin pairs, and if so, to ascertain whether the association is due to the presence of chronic widespread pain (CWP) and familial/genetic factors. Methods: Data were obtained from 630 monozygotic and 239 […]

A twin study of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and chronic widespread pain

Previous studies of the association between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and chronic widespread pain (CWP) or fibromyalgia have not examined the role of familial or genetic factors. The goals of this study were to determine if symptoms of PTSD are related to CWP in a genetically informative community-based sample of twin pairs, and if so, […]

Is the association between posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and poor health due to a common familial or genetic factor?

Objective: The objective of this study was to identify genetic, familial and environmental contributions to the association between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and poor health. Methods: A community sample of 1852 twin pairs was assessed for symptoms of PTSD [with the Impact of Events Scale (IES)] and self-reported global health status using a single five-level question. […]