Predictors of Trauma Symptomatology in Hospitalized Trauma Patients

Introduction: Traumatic injury and its impact on psychological functioning is a major public health problem. In the United States, injury accounts for over 150,000 deaths and 3 million non-fatal injuries per year. Sustaining a traumatic injury increases risk of developing posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), such as negative alterations in cognitions and mood and marked alterations in arousal and reactivity. The current study sought to understand what demographic, clinical, and psychological factors are associated with PTSS in patients following hospitalization for acute physical injury. Methods: Adults admitted to a Level 1 Trauma Center (N = 141) completed measures assessing resiliency, sense of coherence, traumatic event history, and PTSS during and post-admission. Additional data was extracted via the electronic medical record. Results: Age, gender, injury severity (ISS), toxicology, resilience (BRS), sense of coherence (SOC), and trauma history (LEC-5) appeared to be closely related to the presence of trauma symptoms. Specifically, sense of coherence was inversely related to presence of trauma symptomology more than any other factor. Discussion: Overall, these findings support the utility of assessing such factors in the wake of traumatic injury as early identification is vital to early intervention to mitigate distress and improve psychosocial functioning.