Trauma‐Related Pain, Reexperiencing Symptoms, and Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Longitudinal Study of Veterans

Abstract: Research has demonstrated a strong positive association between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and physical pain.  However, few studies have explored the impact of pain problems on the symptoms and treatment of PTSD, and results remain inconsistent.   This longitudinal study examined whether trauma-related and trauma-unrelated pain differentially and uniquely predicted re-experiencing symptoms. We found that trauma-related pain was indirectly related to poor PTSD treatment outcomes via reexperiencing symptoms. These findings offer additional insight into factors that may influence PTSD treatment outcomes for pain-suffering trauma survivors.