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Peritraumatic dissociation consistently predicts posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Avoidant coping may serve as a mechanism through which peritraumatic dissociation contributes to PTSD symptoms. Path analysis was used to examine whether avoidant coping assessed 6 weeks following a motor vehicle accident mediated the relationship between in-hospital peritraumatic dissociation and 6-month (n = 193) and 12-month (n = 167) chronic PTSD symptoms. Results revealed that, after controlling for age, gender, depression, and 6-week PTSD symptoms, avoidant coping remained a partial mediator between peritraumatic dissociation and chronic PTSD symptoms 6- and 12-months postaccident. Post-hoc multigroup analyses suggested that at 6-months posttrauma, the mediation was significant in women, but not in men. Gender-specific results were not significant at 12-months posttrauma. Interventions targeted at reducing avoidant coping in high dissociators may aid in reducing PTSD symptoms., (Copyright © 2011 International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.)

The present study examined the relationship between trauma history characteristics (number and type of traumas, age at first trauma, and subjective responses to prior traumas) and the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms following a motor vehicle accident (MVA). One hundred eighty-eight adult MVA victims provided information about prior traumatization and were evaluated for PTSD symptoms 6 weeks and one year following the MVA. Results indicated that after controlling for demographics and depression, prior trauma history characteristics accounted for a small, but significant amount of the variance in PTSD symptoms. Distress from prior trauma and number of types of prior traumas were the most meaningful trauma history predictors. Results encourage further evaluation of trauma history as a multifaceted construct.