Background and objectives: Primary care research into post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is less developed than primary care depression research. This study documents lifetime traumatic events and past month depression and PTSD in adult patients of a large family medicine residency practice.
Methods: We used a telephone survey of 411 adult patients from a family medicine residency practice in the Southeastern United States. Standardized measures were used.
Results: Seventy-nine percent of study enrollees completed the study. Women were significantly more likely than men to have been diagnosed with PTSD (35.8% versus 20.0%) or depression (36.1% versus 21.1%), with a high degree of diagnosis overlap (76.5%). Most adults (>90%) reported one or more traumatic events. Men reported more war zone/combat events; women reported more sexual victimization. More than 80% of patients thought family physicians should ask about traumatic events; only a minority recalled being asked (26.8% men, 43.6% women). Regression models determined that current depression and several traumatic events were significant correlates of current PTSD.
Conclusions: Key gender differences in frequency of lifetime traumatic events, past month depression and PTSD, and patient attitudes about trauma questions existed. Current PTSD was best predicted by a combination of coexisting depression and traumatic events. Discussion explores training and practice implications.