In this study, we assessed the prevalence of self-rated post-traumatic stress in relation to reported trauma in an unselected primary care population. A total of 1113 out of 1378 consecutive attenders (response rate 81%) to 10 health centres completed the self-report instruments Impact of Event Scale (IES), and Post Traumatic Symptom Scale (PTSS-10). A horizontal visual analogue scale (VAS; 0-100 mm) resembling the EuroQoL (quality of life) health barometer was used for evaluating well-being. Trauma was reported by 325 attenders (29.2%) when applying DSM-IV trauma criteria. Prevalence of possible post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was 6.5% (n = 72) using cut-off scores of >35 for IES and >5 for PTSS-10. The two most common traumas in the PTSD group were accidents (2.0%, n = 22), followed by cancer (1.3%, n = 15). When excluding diseases and unspecified death as trauma, the rate of possible PTSD was 3.5% (n = 39). Mean VAS - QoL score was 39.6 mm in the PTSD group (n = 72), and 64.7 mm in the non-PTSD group with a reported trauma (n = 253). In a multiple logistic regression analysis low self-rated well-being showed the strongest association with possible PTSD, followed by sexual assault, female gender, immigrant status and less than 2 years since trauma. © 2004 Taylor & Francis.

Primary care Sexual assault cancer immigrants Post-traumatic stress disorder Prevalence Quality of life Self-report instruments

rating scale primary medical care multivariate logistic regression analysis health care personnel human Self Report middle aged controlled study death cancer diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders quality of life Humans male female self concept prevalence scoring system Article accident Questionnaires major clinical study gender adult posttraumatic stress disorder Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic psychotrauma visual analog scale disease association sexual crime primary health care