Killing and latent classes of PTSD symptoms in Iraq and Afghanistan veterans

Abstract Background Our goal was to better understand distinct PTSD symptom presentations in Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans ( N =227) and to determine whether those who killed in war were at risk for being in the most symptomatic class. Methods We used latent class analysis of responses to the PTSD checklist and logistic regression of most symptomatic class. Results We found that a four-class solution best fit the data, with the following profiles emerging: High Symptom (34% of participants), Intermediate Symptom (41%), Intermediate Symptom with Low Emotional Numbing (10%), and Low Symptom (15%). The largest group of individuals who reported killing (45%) was in the High Symptom class, and those who killed had twice the odds of being in the most symptomatic PTSD class, compared to those who did not kill. Those who endorsed killing a non-combatant ( OR =4.56, 95% CI [1.77, 11.7], p