The development of PTSD is influenced by a variety of factors including psychopathology, the nature of the event, and the number of prior traumatic events. In a meta-analysis, Ozer et. al (2003) found that both distal factors (e.g., lifetime and family history of psychopathology) and proximal factors to the trauma (e.g., perceived life threat, perceived support) were significant predictors of the development of PTSD, with the latter proximal factors as the strongest predictors. In addition to the proximal factors discussed by Ozer and colleagues (2003), the type of event may also influence the development of PTSD. Evidence suggests that PTSD rates are higher among those who have experienced a violent personal assault (e.g., rape, stabbed, shot) compared to other types of trauma such as learning of trauma to others (Breslau, 2009; Breslau et al., 1998; Breslau et al., 2004; Hapke et al., 2006). In a study of cocaine dependent individuals, Najavits and colleagues found that those with PTSD reported significantly more traumatic events than those without PTSD, indicating a dose-response relationship between number of events and PTSD (Najavits et al.,
