Compound risk: History of traumatic stress predicts posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and severity in sudden cardiac arrest survivors

Background:Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) survivors can develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) which is associated with worse clinical outcomes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and predictors of PTSD in a large sample of SCA survivors. Prior history of psychological trauma and the effects of repeated trauma exposure on subsequent PTSD and symptom severity after SCA were also explored.Methods:A retrospective, cross-sectional study of 188 SCA survivors from the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association patient registry completed an online questionnaire that included measures of PTSD, trauma history, sociodemographics, general health, and cardiac history.Results:Sixty-three (36.2%) SCA survivors in this sample scored above the clinical cutoff for PTSD. Female gender, worse general health, and younger age predicted PTSD symptoms after SCA. Additionally, 50.2% of SCA survivors (n = 95) reported a history of trauma exposure and 25.4% (n = 48) of the total sample endorsed a traumatic stress r...