Epidemiological studies of PTSD supplement clinical understandings of the disorder in important ways [5]. In this case, our findings highlight the importance of preventing trauma exposure in American Indian communities--these high rates of trauma that are likely responsible for the relative pervasiveness of PTSD. Further once exposure occurs, given the varying conditional rates of PTSD, careful targeting of scarce screening and intervention resources is possible. Among women, those experiencing interpersonal traumas deserve special attention but, more generally, these results offer clear justification for extending programs to both women and men. Rather than assuming that all, or even most, experiencing a qualifying trauma will develop PTSD, the use of screening, brief intervention, and referral techniques in common settings such as primary care show considerable promise[34-36]. It is to such efforts that we plan to turn our attention to in coming years.
