The prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder and its relation to childhood adversity in subjects with eating disorders

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

The prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and its relation to childhood adversity and Axis I psychiatric disorders was assessed in a clinical population of 164 eating disorders patients. Eleven per cent (18/164) had a lifetime history of PTSD. There was no difference in the prevalence of PTSD between the subgroups of eating disorders. Higher prevalences of PTSD symptoms were found in those who had a history of childhood sexual abuse (23 per cent versus 9 per cent; p<0.05), discord in the home (16 per cent versus 6 per cent; p<0.05) and high parental control (44 per cent versus 6 per cent; p<0.001). Higher rates of life-time comorbidity of other Axis I disorders in PTSD sufferers was only found for anxiety disorders (67 per cent versus 39 per cent, p<0.03). Possible mechanisms linking childhood experiences to PTSD are discussed.