The Importance of Dimensionality: Examining the Impacts of Critical Incident Exposures on PTSD Symptom Dimensions

• In Event: Innovations in Correctional Research

Abstract

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a syndrome which is comprised of four symptom dimensions: 1) intrusion, 2) avoidance, 3) changes in mood/cognition, and 4) changes in arousal. While the assessment of PTSD dimensions is present in clinical settings, research into correctional officer (CO) wellness has yet to fully examine how work-related stressors may differentially impact distinct dimensions. Using a two-cohort sample across three correctional facilities within the Minnesota Department of Corrections (n = 343), structural equation models were used to examine the impact of violent, non-violent, and overall critical incident exposures on each of the four PTSD dimensions. Overall, violent, nonviolent, and overall critical incident exposures were only associated with the intrusion and avoidance dimensions. Alternatively, mood/cognition and arousal symptoms were unaffected by any kind of exposure. Methodologically, PTSD among COs should be conceptualized as a syndrome made of distinct symptom domains. This would allow researchers to analyze the impact of workplace stressors on symptom variation in a more precise way. Further, interventions with the goal of mitigating PTSD among COs are likely to be more effective when specific PTSD dimensions are targeted.

Authors

• Samantha Lynn Allen, Florida State University

• Joseph A. Schwartz, Florida State University