Table 1.
Participant demographics
| PTSD | GAD | HC | |
|---|---|---|---|
| n | 25 | 24 | 20 |
| Age (years) | 34.6 ± 10.4 | 30.0 ± 12.5 | 32.5 ± 13.8 |
| Gender (female/male) | 16/9 | 17/7 | 8/12 |
| Substance use, %a | 64*** | 0 | 15 |
| Medication use, % | 40 | 50 | 20 |
| DERS-impulse control | 15.1 ± 1.1** | 13.5 ± 1.1 | 10.5 ± 1.2 |
| PCL total | 61.0 ± 16.1** | 43.2 ± 14.0** | 30.7 ± 9.0 |
| PCL arousal cluster | 18.5 ± 5.2** | 14.7 ± 4.6** | 9.2 ± 2.7 |
| PCL-hypervigilance | 4.1 ± 1.0** | 2.4 ± 1.3* | 1.7 ± 0.8 |
| BAI | 26.2 ± 15.7* | 15.8 ± 9.1* | 7.0 ± 7.5 |
| STAI-T | 54.6 ± 9.5** | 54.9 ± 6.7** | 40.3 ± 8.2 |
| BDI | 26.8 ± 12.5** | 22.3 ± 7.5** | 11.6 ± 8.8 |
| Axis I comorbidity | n (%) | n (%) | |
| No comorbid diagnoses | 4 (16) | 10 (42) | |
| Comorbid diagnoses | 21 (84) | 14 (58) | |
| PDD | 12 (48) | 3 (13) | |
| SAD | 9 (36) | 8 (33) | |
| MDD | 5 (20) | 3 (13) | |
| Panic disorder | 3 (12) | 1 (4) | |
| Specific phobia | 2 (8) | 3 (13) | |
| OCD | 2 (8%) | 0 | |
| Alcohol use | 3 (12) | 0 | |
| Substance use | 3 (12) | 0 | |
| Otherb | 10 (40) | 5 (21) | |
| Mean diagnoses, n (SD) | 2.22 (1.47) | 1.00 (1.25) |
BAI = Beck Anxiety Inventory; STAI-T = State and Trait Anxiety Inventory – Trait; BDI = Beck Depression Inventory; DERS = Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale; PCL = PTSD Checklist; PDD = Persistent Depressive Disorder; SAD = Social Anxiety Disorder; OCD = Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
Both PTSD and GAD groups showed higher scores on all questionnaires compared to the healthy control group (P’s < 0.05), except for DERS-Impulse Control, which was specifically elevated in PTSD. The PTSD group further showed higher scores on the PCL total, PCL-arousal cluster and PCL-hypervigilance, and the DERS-Impulse control and BAI questionnaires, relative to the GAD group (P’s < 0.05).
aSubjects with opioid, stimulant and cocaine use were excluded. *P < 0.05; **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.005.
bOther diagnoses refer to diagnoses endorsed by no more than one subject per group, including: binge eating disorder, agoraphobia, hoarding, depressive-not otherwise specified, bulimia, trichotillomania, excoriation, anxiety-not otherwise specified, anorexia nervosa, and other trauma-related disorders.