A Bayesian Network Analysis of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms in Adults Reporting Childhood Sexual Abuse
(2017) European Journal of Psychotraumatology — Vol. 8, n° 3 (2017)
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- Abstract
- Background: The network approach to mental disorders offers a novel framework for conceptualizing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a causal system of interacting symptoms. Objective: In this study, we extended this work by estimating the structure of relations among PTSD symptoms in adults reporting personal histories of childhood sexual abuse (CSA; N = 179). Method: We employed two complementary methods. First, using the graphical LASSO, we computed a sparse, regularized partial correlation network revealing associations (edges) between pairs of PTSD symptoms (nodes). Next, using a Bayesian approach, we computed a directed acyclic graph (DAG) to estimate a directed, potentially causal model of the relations among symptoms. Results: We found that physiological reactivity to reminders of the trauma, dreams about the trauma, and loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities were highly central nodes in the network. The DAG suggests that becoming physiologically reactive and upset in response to reminders of the trauma may be key drivers of other symptoms in adult survivors of CSA. Conclusions: Both network approaches provide complementary insights into the structure of PTSD symptoms in this trauma group.
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McNally, R. J., Heeren, A., & Robinaugh, D. (2017). A Bayesian Network Analysis of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms in Adults Reporting Childhood Sexual Abuse. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 8(3). https://doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2017.1341276 (Original work published 2017)