Trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder in subjects with anxiety disorders

Trauma histories were obtained from 711 subjects in a large study of anxiety disorders, with the intent of determining the prevalence and nature of psychological trauma in this group. Twenty-seven percent of subjects reported significant trauma; 35% of these (10% of all subjects) met DSM-II-R criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Subjects reporting sexual trauma were significantly more likely to have PTSD. The rate of PTSD was not higher in subjects with panic disorder than in those with other anxiety disorders.