The psychiatric sequelae of civilian trauma

Much of the literature on the psychiatric consequences of stress has focused on wartime combat trauma. However, traumatic events also frequently occur in civilian life. Controlled studies on the psychiatric effects of noncombat trauma were reviewed and a meta-analysis of these data was conducted. Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance abuse, phobia, and major depressive disorder (MDD) were significantly elevated compared with a pooled control group, whereas panic disorder and dysthymic disorder were not significantly increased. These data suggest that the psychiatric effects of civilian trauma include both anxiety and depressive disorders. The results are strikingly similar to those reported in combat veterans, suggesting that severe trauma, even in very different populations, may be associated with similar psychopathology.