Clinical relevance of subthreshold PTSD versus full criteria PTSD following traumatic brain injury in U.S. service members and veterans

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine the influence of subthreshold posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and full PTSD on quality of life following mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Participants were 734 service members and veterans (SMV) classified into two injury groups: uncomplicated mild TBI (MTBI; n = 596) and injured controls (IC, n = 139). Participants completed a battery of neurobehavioral measures, 12-or-more months post-injury, that included the PTSD Checklist Civilian version, Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory, and select scales from the TBI-QOL and MPAI. The MTBI group was divided into three PTSD subgroups: No-PTSD (n = 266), Subthreshold PTSD (n = 139), and Full-PTSD (n = 190). There was a linear relationship between PTSD severity and neurobehavioral functioning/quality of life in the MTBI sample. As PTSD severity increased, significantly worse scores were found on 11 of the 12 measures (i.e., MTBI: Full-PTSD > Sub-PTSD > No-PTSD). When considering the number of clinically elevated scores, a linear relationship between PTSD severity and neurobehavioral functioning/quality of life was again observed in the MTBI sample (e.g., 3-or-more elevated scores: Full-PTSD = 92.1 %, Sub-PTSD = 61.9 %, No-PTSD = 19.9 %). Limitations included the use of a self-report measure to determine diagnostic status that may under/overcount or mischaracterize individuals. PTSD symptoms, whether at the level of diagnosable PTSD, or falling short of that because of the intensity or characterization of symptoms, have a significant negative impact on one's quality of life following MTBI. Clinicians' treatment targets should focus on the symptoms that are most troubling for an individual and the individual's perception of quality of life, regardless of the diagnosis itself.