Traumatic Exposure and PTSD Symptoms in a Sample From a Tertiary Pain Clinic

Abstract

Background: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a significant psychiatric comorbidity in individuals with chronic pain. To date, the link between PTSD and chronic pain has mostly been described using the outdated DSM-IV PTSD criteria. Stronger evidence utilizing the updated DSM-5 criteria is needed to ensure comparability with earlier prevalence rates. Methods: This observational study reported the percentage of individuals who had experienced at least one traumatic event and fulfilled the DSM-5 PTSD criteria, based on self-report, at a tertiary pain clinic in Sweden. The study also investigated the associations between PTSD symptom severity and sociodemographic characteristics, trauma-related factors, and pain-related factors, using regression analysis in the trauma-affected subsample. Results: A large proportion of the sample (76.8%) reported having experienced at least one traumatic event, with the prevalence of self-reported PTSD being 23.0% for the sample. Female sex, being born outside of Sweden, anxiety, and multiple traumatic events were identified as significant predictors of more severe PTSD symptoms. The most common trauma types were accidents, life-threatening illness or injury, sudden accidental or violent death, and multiple traumas. Conclusions: Based on the results from this study, it seems important to integrate PTSD assessment in clinical settings focused on chronic pain. The findings align with the broader literature on the impact of sex, migration, and cumulative traumas as predictors of PTSD symptomatology. Furthermore, the results highlight the complex interconnection between PTSD and chronic pain, underscoring the importance of considering sociodemographic and trauma-related factors in the clinical assessment and treatment of chronic pain populations.