Physical symptoms in post-traumatic stress disorder

Abstract

Physical complaints are recognised accompaniments of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This study investigates the reporting of physical complaints in a treatment-naive sample of fire-fighters with and without PTSD. Statistically higher rates of cardiovascular, respiratory, musculoskeletal and neurological symptoms were reported in the PTSD group. Possible explanations are discussed, with an exploration of the contribution of arousal, disordered information processing, dissociation, comorbid diagnoses and premorbid personality. The role of the original stressor and sociocultural issues are explored.