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Sadler AG, Torner J, Mengeling M, Morcuende A, Booth B. Traumatic Events in Women Veterans: Patterns Associated with Depression, PTSD, Borderline Personality Disorder, and Comorbid PTSD and Borderline Personality Disorder. Poster session presented at: VA Clinical and Translational Science Awards Annual Meeting; 2011 Apr 28; Washington, DC.
Objectives/Specific aims: To study the association between type and timing of traumatic events and diagnosis of PTSD+BPD. Methods/Study population: Cross-sectional study of a Mid-Western cohort of VA-enrolled women veterans. Participants (N = 875) completed a computer-assisted telephone interview assessing demographics, childhood and adult rape history, combat and civilian traumas, and self-report of lifetime diagnoses of depression, PTSD, or BPD. Subjects with other mental health diagnoses were excluded. Analyses were conducted using contingency tables and Chi-Square tests. Results/Anticipated results: Depression was diagnosed in 36% of participants, PTSD in 23%, BPD in 2%, and BPD+PTSD in 4%. Women with PTSD+BPD were more likely to report having been raped two or more times (75%) compared to women with depression (37%), PTSD (50%), or BPD (55%) (p < .0001). More participants with PTSD+BPD (58%) and BPD (55%) had their first rape in childhood, compared to those with depression (35%) or PTSD (36%) (p < .0001). Women with PTSD+BPD (64%) were more likely to acknowledge rape in two or more time periods (childhood, adult civilian life, or military life) compared to those with depression (22%), PTSD (31%) or BPD (40%) (p < .0001). Women with BPD+PTSD (61%) were more likely to report three or more types of trauma (childhood rape, adult rape, combat trauma, or civilian trauma) compared to those with depression (24%), PTSD (40%), or BPD (40%) (p < .0001). Discussion/Significance of impact: These findings support previous research indicating extensive exposure to lifetime trauma in women veterans. Women with history of childhood rape and exposure to different types of trauma over time are at elevated risk of diagnosis with both PTSD+BPD. Current treatment models focused only on PTSD ignore necessary interventions for BPD.
