Assessing relations between PTSD's dysphoria and reexperiencing factors and dimensions of rumination.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relations between posttraumatic stress disorder's (PTSD) dysphoria and reexperiencing factors and underlying dimensions of rumination. 304 trauma-exposed primary care patients were administered the Stressful Life Events Screening Questionnaire, PTSD Symptom Scale based on their worst traumatic event, and Ruminative Thought Style Questionnaire (RTSQ). Confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) were conducted to determine the dysphoria and reexperiencing factors' relationships with the four factors of rumination. Results revealed that both the dysphoria and reexperiencing factors related more to problem-focused thinking and anticipatory thoughts than counterfactual thinking. Additionally, the reexperiencing factor related more to anticipatory thinking than repetitive thinking. Clinical and theoretical implications are discussed

Factor Correlations for the Four-Factor Rumination Model.

<p><i>Note</i>. All factor correlations are significant at <i>p</i> < 0.001 level.</p><p>Factor Correlations for the Four-Factor Rumination Model.</p

Correlations between the Four-Factor Rumination Model and PTSD’s Dysphoria Factor, and the Corresponding Wald Test Values.

<p><i>Note</i>. PFT = Problem-Focused Thinking from RTSQ. CT = Counterfactual Thinking from RTSQ. RT = Repetitive Thinking from RTSQ. AT = Anticipatory Thinking from RTSQ.</p><p>RE = PTSD’s Reexperiencing DYS = PTSD’s Dysphoria.</p><p>*<i>p</i> < 0.05.</p><p>**<i>p</i> < 0.01.</p><p>Correlations between the Four-Factor Rumination Model and PTSD’s Dysphoria Factor, and the Corresponding Wald Test Values.</p

Factor Correlations for the Combined Dysphoria Model of PTSD and Four-Factor Rumination Model.

<p><i>Note</i>. All factor correlations are significant at <i>p</i> < 0.001 level.</p><p>Factor Correlations for the Combined Dysphoria Model of PTSD and Four-Factor Rumination Model.</p

Factor Correlations for the PTSD Dysphoria Model.

<p><i>Note</i>. All factor correlations are significant at <i>p</i> < 0.001 level.</p><p>Factor Correlations for the PTSD Dysphoria Model.</p

Item Mapping for PTSD Models.

<p><i>Note</i>: R = Reexperiencing, A = Avoidance, N = Numbing, H = Hyperarousal, D = Dysphoria, DA = Dysphoric Arousal, AA = Anxious Arousal</p><p>Item Mapping for PTSD Models.</p

Standardized Factor Loadings for the PTSD Dysphoria Model.

<p><i>Note</i>. All factor loadings are significant at <i>p</i> < 0.001 level.</p><p>Standardized Factor Loadings for the PTSD Dysphoria Model.</p

Assessing a five factor model of PTSD: Is dysphoric arousal a unique PTSD construct showing differential relationships with anxiety and depression?

Posttraumatic stress disorder&#39;s (PTSD) latent structure has been widely debated. To date, two four-factor models (Numbing and Dysphoria) have received the majority of factor analytic support. Recently, Elhai et al. (2011) proposed and supported a revised (five-factor) Dysphoric Arousal model. Data were gathered from two separate samples; War veterans and Primary Care medical patients. The three models were compared and the resultant factors of the Dysphoric Arousal model were validated against external constructs of depression and anxiety. The Dysphoric Arousal model provided significantly better fit than the Numbing and Dysphoria models across both samples. When differentiating between factors, the current results support the idea that Dysphoric Arousal can be differentiated from Anxious Arousal but not from Emotional Numbing when correlated with depression. In conclusion, the Dysphoria model may be a more parsimonious representation of PTSD&#39;s latent structure in these trauma populations despite superior fit of the Dysphoric Arousal model. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved