Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to verify the hypothesis that there is
an association between peritraumatic dissociation (PD) and posttraumatic
stress disorder (PTSD) in individuals exposed to recurrent
armed conflict. More specifically, we sought to evaluate whether
PD differentially predicts PTSD according to the degree of exposure
to the potentially traumatic event (PTE), the level of education,
and gender. A total of 120 individuals between 17 and 75 years of
age, including 51women, completed the Traumatic Events List, the
Peritraumatic Dissociative Experiences Questionnaire, and the
French version of the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist
Scale, as well as a questionnaire providing information regarding
sociodemographic details. The group of participants with high
scores for PD had significantly more PTSD. PD differentially predicts
PTSD depending on the level of education and gender of the
individual. Those who had been physically assaulted and raped,
as well as the less educated, were more likely to be dissociated
during PTE· exposure compared to witnesses and those with
a higher level of education. The primary target population for
prevention and early management should comprise individuals
with high levels of PD, low levels of education, and women.