Latent class analysis of post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms following exposure to Hurricane Ike

Background: There is substantial heterogeneity in how people react to potentially traumatic events (PTEs). Although some literature has explored this heterogeneity, there are only a few studies identifying factors associated with it within the disaster literature. Objective: The current investigation identified latent classes of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and differences between these classes after exposure to Hurricane Ike. Methods: Adults living in Galveston and Chambers County, Texas, (n = 658) completed a battery of measures during an interview conducted two to five months after Hurricane Ike. Latent class analysis (LCA) was performed to identify latent classes of PTSD symptoms. Additionally, gender, age, racial or ethnic minority status, depression severity, anxiety severity, quality of life, perceived need for services, and disaster exposure were examined to explore class differences. Results: LCA supported a 3-class model with low (n = 407, 61.9%), moderate (n = 191, 29.0%), and high PTSD symptoms (n = 60, 9.1%). Women appeared most at-risk for a moderate-severity presentation as compared to a low-severity presentation. Further, racial or ethnic minority groups appeared most at-risk for a high-severity presentation as compared to a moderate-severity presentation. Overall, the high symptom class had the poorest well-being, the most perceived need for services, and the highest exposure to the disaster, followed by the moderate symptom class, and finally the low symptom class. Conclusions: PTSD symptom classes appeared to be differentiated primarily by overall severity as well as important psychological, contextual, and demographic dimensions.