ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to examine post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom levels and coping strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic among treatment-seeking veterans with pre-existing PTSD. METHOD: A cohort of 176 male treatment-seeking veterans with pre-existing PTSD during the first COVID-19 pandemic lockdown (T1) and 132 participants from the same cohort one year after the onset of the pandemic (T2) participated in a longitudinal study. All participants responded to a COVID-19-related questionnaire and the following measures: the Life Events Checklist for DSM-5 (LEC-5), PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) and the Brief COPE. RESULTS: The intensity of overall PTSD symptoms, avoidance symptoms and negative alterations in cognitions and mood was lower at T2. PTSD symptoms were not significantly correlated with SARS-CoV-2 potentially traumatic events (PTE) at T2. Veterans scored higher on emotion-focused and problem-focused coping than on dysfunctional coping. CONCLUSIONS: Veterans with pre-existing PTSD who were receiving long-term treatment coped with COVID-19 stressors without the effects of retraumatization and a consequent worsening of PTSD symptoms.
ABSTRACT
There is a small body of research about mental and physical comorbidity in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) patients despite the fact that some psychiatric disorders and physical conditions are commonly comorbid with PTSD. In this study, we researched the relationship between PTSD and its mental and physical comorbidities by comparing the number of patient hospitalizations across two ten-year periods. Our sample consisted of 2761 patients with warfare PTSD hospitalized during the 20-year period (1999-2018). The results confirmed a higher number of hospitalizations in the 2009-2018 period than in the 1999-2008 period for the group of PTSD patients with both mental and physical comorbidity. Furthermore, no significant difference was found in the number of hospitalizations between the two ten-year periods for the group of PTSD patients with mental comorbidity. We argued that both mental and physical comorbidities along with PTSD are needed to induce a significantly higher level of distress in patients, resulting in a higher number of hospitalizations after a longer period of time. Patients with the most severe conditions and comorbidity have a greater need to seek help from mental health professionals as their mental and physical state deteriorates to a higher degree when not in the treatment of any kind.