We compared the PTSD effects of established predispositions – pre-existing disorders and parental psychopathology – among victims of sexual assault versus victims of each of three traumatic events of lower magnitude. The PTSD effects of these predispositions, in 15 of the 18 comparisons in the total sample (Table 3, last 2 columns) and in all the 18 comparisons in the subset aged 18 years and over (Table 4, last two columns) were not significantly weaker among victims of sexual assault, a severe trauma, as indicated by its high PTSD risk, than among victims of less severe traumas. The analysis in Table 4 was conducted to address the potential bias in Table 3 concerning the comparisons on pre-existing disorders, due to the age of trauma disparity between victims of sexual assault (majority before the age of 18 years) and victims of comparison events, as summarized above under ‘Additional analysis’.
