The impact of the developmental timing of trauma exposure on PTSD symptoms and psychosocial functioning among older adults.
Abstract
The present study examined the impact of the developmental timing of trauma exposure
on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and psychosocial functioning in a
large sample of community-dwelling older adults (N = 1,995). Specifically, we investigated
whether the negative consequences of exposure to traumatic events were greater for
traumas experienced during childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, midlife, or older
adulthood. Each of these developmental periods is characterized by age-related changes
in cognitive and social processes that may influence psychological adjustment following
trauma exposure. Results revealed that older adults who experienced their currently
most distressing traumatic event during childhood exhibited more severe symptoms of
PTSD and lower subjective happiness compared with older adults who experienced their
most distressing trauma after the transition to adulthood. Similar findings emerged
for measures of social support and coping ability. The differential effects of childhood
compared with later life traumas were not fully explained by differences in cumulative
trauma exposure or by differences in the objective and subjective characteristics
of the events. Our findings demonstrate the enduring nature of traumatic events encountered
early in the life course and underscore the importance of examining the developmental
context of trauma exposure in investigations of the long-term consequences of traumatic
experiences.
Type
Journal articleSubject
Adaptation, PsychologicalAdolescent
Adult
Aged
Analysis of Variance
Child
Child, Preschool
Cohort Studies
Female
Humans
Life Change Events
Male
Middle Aged
Prevalence
Social Support
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
Surveys and Questionnaires
Trauma Severity Indices
Young Adult
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https://hdl.handle.net/10161/9772Published Version (Please cite this version)
10.1037/a0031985Publication Info
Ogle, Christin M; Rubin, David C; & Siegler, Ilene C (2013). The impact of the developmental timing of trauma exposure on PTSD symptoms and psychosocial
functioning among older adults. Dev Psychol, 49(11). pp. 2191-2200. 10.1037/a0031985. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/9772.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.
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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
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