New Geisinger-lead research dispels a recent notion in psychiatry that if a person experiences a panic attack during a traumatic event that they will likely suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the future.
The study appears in the April edition of the journal Psychiatry Research and was co-authored by Geisinger Senior Investigator Joseph Boscarino, Ph.D., MPH, and Kent State University social psychologist Richard E. Adams, Ph.D.
The new research suggests that factors such as a prior history of depression, a person's emotional support network and self-esteem are better indicators of a person's susceptibility to PTSD.
It was previously thought that panic attacks immediately following traumatic events such as a car accident would trigger or predict PTSD in the long-term. But the study's authors say there is more to it.
"Clinicians should look at other signs of mental-health stress such as not sleeping, recently experiencing stressful life events and withdrawing from social interactions," Boscarino said. "Our study suggests that many factors contribute to post-traumatic stress disorder-not just panic attacks during the event."
The study examined panic attacks during a traumatic experience among people exposed to the Sept. 11, 2001, events at the World Trade Center in New York City. Among the study's key findings: