The study yielded several important findings examining, comparing, and identifying potential reasons for differences in national estimates of lifetime, past-year, and current PTSD prevalence using the DSM-IV and the DSM-5 criteria. First, consistent with other reports (Kessler, Sonnega, Bromet, Hughes, & Nelson 1995), the vast majority (89.7%) of the sample had experienced one or more DSM-5 Criterion A events. Similarly, the prevalence of sexual or physical assault was comparable to one of the most-cited national studies of U.S. adult men and women, which found prevalence of direct physical or sexual assault victimization to be 55% among women and 66.8% among men (Tjaden & Thoennes, 1998). Prevalence of accidental or violent deaths among close friends or family members was slightly higher than in some other national studies (e.g., Pietrzak, Goldstein, Southwick, & Grant, 2011). However, the present study included a more in-depth assessment of violent or accidental deaths using multiple questions assessing homicide, drunk-driving, suicide, drug-overdose, disaster, and accident-related deaths of close friends or family members that may provide a more sensitive and valid assessment of the range of violent deaths
