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As the Pendulum Swings

The Etiology of PTSD, Complex PTSD, and Revictimization

University of British Columbia Vancouver, BC, Canada

During the 19th century, a picture was painted of trauma in which the focus was on pathologies of the victims, including notions of inherited "moral degeneracy," with little cognizance of the greater contextual factors, such as the traumatic events themselves, that contributed to the symptom picture. The role of trauma in the etiology of posttraumatic symptoms was incorporated into the DSM-III in 1980 and the PTSD category was initially viewed as an improvement over earlier categorizations of trauma, as it acknowledged that some experiences are so overwhelming that few people would escape unscathed. However, recent findings that not all persons who have suffered traumatic events develop PTSD have led some writers to discussion of a genetic component to PTSD. This article looks at this conclusion and the role of individual and contextual factors in relation to PTSD, Complex PTSD, and revictimization.

Key Words: PTSD • DESNOS • Complex PTSD • revictimization • allostatic model

Traumatology, Vol. 6, No. 1, 41-59 (2000)
DOI: 10.1177/153476560000600104


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