The Link Between Somatization and Dissociation and PTSD Severity in Veterans Who Sought Help From the IDF Combat Stress Reaction Unit.

Introduction: This study aimed to examine the relationships between dissociative and somatic symptoms and how they might contribute to PTSD severity among ex-soldiers who sought help from the IDF Combat Stress Reaction Unit (CSRU).

Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study included 1,305 former compulsory, career, and reserve soldiers, who filled out self-report questionnaires on admission for evaluation at the CSRU. The study's dependent variables included two posttraumatic stress disorder measures (CAPS and PCL-5). The independent variables were the Dissociative Experience Scale and Brief Symptom Inventory. Background and service-related variables were also examined.

Results: Spearman correlation revealed that the higher the level of somatization is, the higher the level of PTSD via PCL and CAPS. A significant positive association was found between somatization and dissociation (r = 0.544; P < 0.001). The higher the somatization level, the more severe the dissociation. A multivariate logistic regression analysis to predict severe PTSD revealed that the longer the time elapsed from the traumatic event (OR = 1.019, P = 0.015), the higher the risk for severe PTSD. The most prominent variables were dissociation (OR = 6.420, P < 0.001) and somatization (OR = 4.792, P < 0.001). The entire model reached 40.8% of the shared variance in the regression.

Conclusions: While there is direct reference to dissociation in the clinical assessment by PCL or CAPS, there is no such reference to somatization. Highly functioning combatants sometimes express their distress somatically. Our findings suggest regarding severe somatic symptoms as diagnostic criteria for PTSD.