Testing the latent structure of posttraumatic stress disorder: A taxometric study of combat veterans

Since the diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) first appeared in the psychiatric nomenclature in 1980, considerable debate has revolved around the nature of the condition. Specifically, is PTSD best conceptualized as one end of a continuum of human response to traumatic stress or does it represent a discontinuous latent category? Two taxometric procedures were used to investigate this issue in a random community sample of 692 Australian combat veterans, using structured interview and self-report instruments to assess PTSD symptomatology. Findings favored a dimensional model of PTSD, consistent with previous taxometric work on treatment-seeking samples (A. Ruscio, Ruscio, & Keane, 2002). Implications are drawn for the conceptualization, etiology, and assessment of PTSD.