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ETD Archive

2012

PTSD

Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in Psychology

Ptsd And High-Risk Behaviors In Trauma Survivors, Richard Jason Lawrence Jan 2012

Ptsd And High-Risk Behaviors In Trauma Survivors, Richard Jason Lawrence

ETD Archive

Many previous studies have shown that trauma survivors, with and without Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), engage in more high-risk behaviors (e.g., Smith, Davis, & Fricker-Elhai, 2004). It is unclear whether the trauma exposure itself, or PTSD, is actually associated with the high-risk behaviors. The current study will be one of the first to examine differences in risk-taking between trauma survivors with and without PTSD, and will utilize the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART) to test risk-taking propensity in trauma survivors. We expect that trauma survivors with PTSD will engage in more high-risk behaviors, report greater perceived benefits, and demonstrate greater …


Differences In Risk-Taking In A Trauma Exposed Population, Ruth Anna Viehoff Jan 2012

Differences In Risk-Taking In A Trauma Exposed Population, Ruth Anna Viehoff

ETD Archive

Previous studies have shown that depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are associated with a variety of risk-taking behaviors. However fewer studies have examined how comorbidity between the two disorders can differentially affect risk-taking. This study examined the relationship between depression, PTSD, past risk-taking, and perceived benefits of risk to further determine how comorbidity affects risk behaviors. It was expected that individuals who displayed symptoms of depression and PTSD would report more past risk-taking and associate greater benefits with taking risks. Depression symptoms were found to significantly predict past drug use. This suggests that comorbid individuals who report more depressive …