Cumulative exposure to traumatic events in older adults.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: The present study examined the impact of cumulative trauma exposure on
current posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity in a nonclinical sample
of adults in their 60s. The predictive utility of cumulative trauma exposure was compared
to other known predictors of PTSD, including trauma severity, personality traits,
social support, and event centrality. METHOD: Community-dwelling adults (n = 2515)
from the crest of the Baby Boom generation completed the Traumatic Life Events Questionnaire,
the PTSD Checklist, the NEO Personality Inventory, the Centrality of Event Scale,
and rated their current social support. RESULTS: Cumulative trauma exposure predicted
greater PTSD symptom severity in hierarchical regression analyses consistent with
a dose-response model. Neuroticism and event centrality also emerged as robust predictors
of PTSD symptom severity. In contrast, the severity of individuals' single most distressing
life event, as measured by self-report ratings of the A1 PTSD diagnostic criterion,
did not add explanatory variance to the model. Analyses concerning event categories
revealed that cumulative exposure to childhood violence and adulthood physical assaults
were most strongly associated with PTSD symptom severity in older adulthood. Moreover,
cumulative self-oriented events accounted for a larger percentage of variance in symptom
severity compared to events directed at others. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that
the cumulative impact of exposure to traumatic events throughout the life course contributes
significantly to posttraumatic stress in older adulthood above and beyond other known
predictors of PTSD.
Type
Journal articleSubject
AgedChecklist
Cumulative Trauma Disorders
Female
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
North Carolina
Severity of Illness Index
Social Support
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
Surveys and Questionnaires
Permalink
https://hdl.handle.net/10161/9760Published Version (Please cite this version)
10.1080/13607863.2013.832730Publication Info
Ogle, Christin M; Rubin, David C; & Siegler, Ilene C (2014). Cumulative exposure to traumatic events in older adults. Aging Ment Health, 18(3). pp. 316-325. 10.1080/13607863.2013.832730. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/9760.This is constructed from limited available data and may be imprecise. To cite this
article, please review & use the official citation provided by the journal.
Collections
More Info
Show full item recordScholars@Duke
David C. Rubin
Juanita M. Kreps Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience
For .pdfs of all publications click here My main research interest has been in
long-term memory, especially for complex (or "real-world") stimuli. This work includes
the study of autobiographical memory and oral tra
Ilene C. Siegler
Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
My research efforts are in the area of developmental health psychology and organized
around understanding the role of personality in health and disease in middle and later
life. My primary research activity is as Principal Investigator of the UNC Alumni
Heart Study (UNCAHS) a prospective epidemiologic study of 5000 middle aged men and
women and 1200 of their spouses that evaluates the role of personality on coronary
heart disease and coronary heart disease risk, cancer, and normal a
Alphabetical list of authors with Scholars@Duke profiles.

Articles written by Duke faculty are made available through the campus open access policy. For more information see: Duke Open Access Policy
Rights for Collection: Scholarly Articles
Works are deposited here by their authors, and represent their research and opinions, not that of Duke University. Some materials and descriptions may include offensive content. More info