domestic violence); and (2) accidents. (Combat was a third event type but is not included in this summary.) Three antecedent risk factors were considered: (1) prior trauma; (2) prior psychological adjustment; and (3) family history of psychopathology. (Other risk factors were not antecedents, e.g. peritraumatic dissociation, post-trauma social support.) This organization of the meta-analysis – i.e. event type as modifier of risk factors – allows us to see whether pre-existing vulnerability factors were less important in explaining the PTSD effect of severe trauma – interpersonal violence – than a trauma of lower magnitude – accidents.
