A nine-month study on the course of COVID-19 related perceived post-traumatic stress disorder among Italian community-dwelling adults

Antonella Somma; Robert F. Krueger; Kristian E. Markon; Giulia Gialdi; Miriana Colanino; Danila Ferlito; Chiara Liotta; Andrea Fossati

doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.06.024

Back

A nine-month study on the course of COVID-19 related perceived post-traumatic stress disorder among Italian community-dwelling adults

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

A nine-month study on the course of COVID-19 related perceived post-traumatic stress disorder among Italian community-dwelling adults

Antonella Somma, Robert F. Krueger, Kristian E. Markon, Giulia Gialdi, Miriana Colanino, Danila Ferlito, Chiara Liotta and Andrea Fossati

Journal of psychiatric research, Vol.141, pp.146-151

09/01/2021

DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.06.024

PMCID: PMC8579247

PMID: 34214742

Files and links (1)

url

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.06.024View

Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

The present study aimed to evaluate base rate estimates, course of, and psychopathology and personality risk factors for COVID-19-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in community-dwelling adults during the pandemic. 203 participants from a sample of 811 Italian community-dwelling adults agreed to participate in a nine-month, three-wave (Wave 1: March 2020; Wave 2: June 2020; Wave 3: December 2020) longitudinal study. Participants in the longitudinal study did not differ from the cross-sectional original sample on age, gender, civil status, educational level, occupation, and Italian area of residence. At each wave, participants were administered the PTSD scale of the International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ), DSM-5 measures of acute stress, dissociation, depression and anxiety, as well as a maladaptive personality domain measure at Wave 1. Participants were instructed to answer to the ITQ items based only on COVID-19 pandemic and related containment measures. The point prevalence estimates of COVID-19 related PTSD at each wave ranged from 11% to 13%; however, up to roughly 23% of our participants experienced clinically relevant PTSD features during nine months of the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy. Multiple logistic regression results showed that experiencing internalizing symptoms (i.e., mostly acute stress) and selected personality features (i.e., Negative Affectivity and Psychoticism) at Wave 1 represent risk factors for PTSD symptoms at later waves. These findings extend previous knowledge on COVID-19 related PTSD and support the need for preventive and treatment interventions for PTSD during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Community-dwelling participants

COVID-19 pandemic

Internalizing symptoms

Longitudinal study

Maladaptive personality domains

Details

Title: Subtitle: A nine-month study on the course of COVID-19 related perceived post-traumatic stress disorder among Italian community-dwelling adults
Creators: Antonella Somma - Vita-Salute San Raffaele University
Robert F. Krueger - University of Minnesota
Kristian E. Markon - University of Iowa
Giulia Gialdi - Vita-Salute San Raffaele University
Miriana Colanino - Vita-Salute San Raffaele University
Danila Ferlito - Vita-Salute San Raffaele University
Chiara Liotta - Vita-Salute San Raffaele University
Andrea Fossati - Vita-Salute San Raffaele University
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Journal of psychiatric research, Vol.141, pp.146-151
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.06.024
PMID: 34214742
PMCID: PMC8579247
NLM abbreviation: J Psychiatr Res
ISSN: 0022-3956
eISSN: 1879-1379
Publisher: Elsevier Ltd
Language: English
Date published: 09/01/2021
Academic Unit: Psychological and Brain Sciences
Record Identifier: 9984627211702771

Metrics

13 Record Views

5 Times Cited - Web of Science