Can Baseline Patient Clinical and Demographic Characteristics Predict Response to Early Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Interventions After Physical Injury?

Objective: A growing evidence base supports stepped care interventions for the early treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after physical injury. Few investigations have examined the characteristics of patients who do and do not respond to these interventions.

Method: This investigation was a secondary analysis that used previously collected data from three randomized clinical trials of stepped care interventions (patient N = 498). The study hypothesized that a subgroup of patients would manifest persistent PTSD symptoms regardless of randomization to intervention or control conditions, and that characteristics present at the time of baseline injury hospitalization could distinguish patients who would develop persistent symptoms from potential treatment responders. Regression analyses identified baseline patient clinical and demographic characteristics that were associated with persistent PTSD symptoms over the 6-months post-injury. Additional analyses identified treatment attributes of intervention patients who were and were not likely to demonstrate persistent symptoms.

Results: A substantial subgroup of patients (n = 222, 44.6%) demonstrated persistent PTSD symptoms over time. Greater numbers of pre-injury trauma, pre-injury PTSD symptoms, elevated early post-injury PTSD symptoms, unemployment, and non-White race identified patients with persistent symptoms. Patients with ≥3 of these baseline risk characteristics demonstrated diminished treatment responses when compared to patients with <3 characteristics. Intervention patients with ≥3 risk characteristics were less likely to engage in treatment and required greater amounts of interventionist time.

Conclusions: Injured trauma survivors have readily identifiable characteristics at the time of hospitalization that can distinguish responders to PTSD stepped care interventions versus patients who may be treatment refractory.