Abstract
Exposure to a traumatic event is strongly linked to adverse physical health. This chapter reviews the evidence on the physical health consequences of traumatic exposure by using a model that conceptualizes PTSD as the primary mediator through which exposure affects physical health. PTSD is associated with more health problems and medical disorders, decreased physical functioning and overall health, and greater service utilization and mortality. Biological, psychological, behavioral, and attentional changes associated with PTSD are the proposed mechanisms through which PTSD could affect physical health, with the concept of allostatic load as an explanation for how even subtle changes could combine to adversely affect health. The literature showing that PTSD is associated with poor health is highly consistent across self-reported and objective indicators, although there is relatively less evidence on objective indicators of morbidity other than cardiovascular disease and on mortality. Nevertheless, recognizing the physical health effects of traumatic exposure has important implications for research, practice, and society as a whole.
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Schnurr, P.P. (2022). Understanding Pathways from Traumatic Exposure to Physical Health. In: Schnyder, U., Cloitre, M. (eds) Evidence Based Treatments for Trauma-Related Psychological Disorders. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97802-0_5
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