A Network Analysis of DSM-5 Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms and Event Centrality

The centrality of a traumatic event to one's autobiographical memory has been associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity. In the present study, we investigated the associations between specific features of event centrality (EC), as measured using the Centrality of Event Scale, and specific symptoms of PTSD. We computed a cross-sectional graphical lasso network of PTSD symptoms and specific features of EC in a sample of trauma-exposed individuals (n = 451), many of whom met the clinical threshold for a PTSD diagnosis. The graphical lasso revealed intrusive memories, negative trauma-related feelings, and the perception that the traumatic event was central to one's identity to be influential nodes. Viewing the future through the lens of one's trauma exposure was the EC feature most strongly linked to PTSD. Among all PTSD symptoms, blaming oneself or others for the traumatic event showed the strongest link to EC. The network was stable, allowing for reliable interpretations. Future longitudinal research is needed to clarify the associations among EC features and PTSD symptoms over time.