Prevalence and Association of Childhood Traumas, Dissociative Experiences and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of Post- traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), childhood traumas and dissociative experiences among primary health care applicants. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, Post-traumatic stress disorder checklist5 (PCL-5), Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), and Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES) were applied to 303 participants with face-to-face interviews who applied to primary health care institutions from different socioeconomic regions for any reason. Results: The prevalences of PTSD, dissociative experiences, and childhood traumas were found as 11.1%, 6%, and 74.2%, respectively. The most common type of childhood trauma was physical neglect. Dissociation was positively correlated with PTSD and childhood traumas, and PTSD was positively correlated with childhood traumas. Participants with emotional, physical, and sexual abuse were more likely to have PTSD and dissociation. Conclusion: Childhood trauma, dissociation and PTSD are three concepts that frequently coexist and interact with each other. Besides its frequency, negative effect of PTSD on functionality points to the importance of preventive mental health services. Primary health care centers have critical importance in recognizing these comorbidities as being the first-line destination for a large proportion of these patients.