Exciting research lies ahead and promises to advance our scientific understanding of this major public health challenge. Selected abbreviations and acronyms ACTH adrenocorticotropic hormone CRH corticotropin-releasing hormone HPA hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical

(axis) LC locus ceruleus MRSI magnetic resonance spectroscopy imaging NE norepinephrine PTSD posttraumatic stress disorder
The Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical PDS HTS assay scores ranged from 0.10 to 3.57 and the mean was 1.37 (SD=0.56). The distribution of scores approached normality and was deemed suitable for parametric analyses. The scale was internally consistent (α=0.80) and showed strong convergent validity with the PDEQ, r(599)=0.55, P<0.001. The PDS factor solution is presented in Table I Items defining factor 1 included dysphoric emotions such as helplessness, sadness and grief, frustration

and anger, and horror. Factor 2 was mostly defined by items related to loss of safety and arousal, such as being afraid, thinking one Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical might die, and having intense bodily reactions (sweating, shaking, heart-pounding). Items loading on factor 3 were related to the loss of positive beliefs about the self and others, such as thinking that one had done all he or she could during the critical incident, not felling prepared by one’s experience, and not believing tha others understood. We labeled the factors negative emotions, perceived life threat and bodily arousal, Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical and appraisal. Those factors had eigenvalues of 3.32, 2.53, and 2.02, respectively. The sum of communality estimates was 7.58,

explaining 38% of the communality estimates was 7.58, explaining 38% of the total variance and 93% of trace. Intercorrelations among the PDS factors were low, ranging from -0.25 to 0.12 (P<0.05). Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical The low PDS factor intercorrelation coupled with correlations of 0.17 to 0.42 (P<0.001) with the outcome measures (IES-R and MCS) suggest that various forms of peritraumatic distress, as captured by the PDS, can lead to the development of PTSD symptoms. Table I. The PDS factor solution. Two stepwise regression analyses (not fully reported Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical here) were conducted. In predicting the MCS and IES-R, demographic and exposure variables explained very little variance (3%). The PDEQ, entered in the second step, explained 20% and 16% of unique variance on the MCS and IES-R, respectively. Entering the PDS in step 3 explained 11% and 8% unique variance on the MCS and IES-R, respectively. We repeated this set of analyses the with the inclusion order of the PDEQ and PDS reversed. Entered in the second step, the PDS explained 29% and 17% of unique variance on the MCS and IES-R, respectively. Entered in the third step, the PDEQ explained 3% of unique variance on both the MCS and the IES-R. The items and factors of the PDS provide insight as to what some of the salient peritraumatic dimensions may be, in addition to peritraumatic dissociation.