Critical review of Sharon Dekel et al,2013, ‘Posttraumatic stress disorder and depressive symptoms: Joined or independent sequelae of trauma?’, Journal of Psychiatric Research 54 (2014) page 64-69. Dekel et al conducted a study “addresses this issue by investigating associations between probable PTSD and depressive symptoms in a prospective, longitudinal sample of combat veterans.” (Dekel et al, 2014) This research was aimed to provide further evidence in association between PTSD and Depression amongst veterans that were in combat and former prisoners of war. The study illustrated that the severity of PTSD symptoms increased over time with ex-Pows and remained stable amongst the controls. The results revealing that PTSD and Depression over
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However, the weaknesses in this study is slight of its strengths. The main strengths included the longitudinal study, however during this duration people failed to appear for assessments and in the later years’ people had died. Another strength with a slight weakness is self-report. Self-report risk the participants overestimating or underestimating their symptoms. The study is clear and consistent. The study did not present as biased. Dekel et al were objective to their findings. This is evidence by the steps they took to examine the links between PTSD and Depression. Dekel et al expressed several steps to ensure that the research is not biased. “First, we examined whether ex-POWs and controls differ in the prevalence of probable PTSD and depressive symptoms in each of the time points using c2 tests of independence and relative risk analysis. Then, we examined whether and to what extent the prevalence of depressive symptoms and Probable PTSD had changed over time using McNemar tests…. Second, we examined whether ex-POWs and controls differ in the prevalence of co-occurring PTSD and depressive symptoms in each of the time points using c2 tests of independence (including odd ratios). Third, we examined whether PTSD and depressive symptoms are two distinct psychopathological constructs or are they one construct of internalizing-related psychopathology. To this end, we employed multi-group Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). Fourth, we examined the contribution of captivity (ex-POWs vs. controls) to the differences in the 17-year trajectories of PTSD and depressive symptoms using Latent Trajectories Modeling. Finally, we employed parallel process latent growth modeling to examine the contribution of captivity (ex-POWs vs. controls) to the bidirectional associations between PTSD and depressive symptoms over time. We also examined the bidirectional associations between PTSD and depressive symptoms over time regardless
However, the weaknesses in this study is slight of its strengths. The main strengths included the longitudinal study, however during this duration people failed to appear for assessments and in the later years’ people had died. Another strength with a slight weakness is self-report. Self-report risk the participants overestimating or underestimating their symptoms. The study is clear and consistent. The study did not present as biased. Dekel et al were objective to their findings. This is evidence by the steps they took to examine the links between PTSD and Depression. Dekel et al expressed several steps to ensure that the research is not biased. “First, we examined whether ex-POWs and controls differ in the prevalence of probable PTSD and depressive symptoms in each of the time points using c2 tests of independence and relative risk analysis. Then, we examined whether and to what extent the prevalence of depressive symptoms and Probable PTSD had changed over time using McNemar tests…. Second, we examined whether ex-POWs and controls differ in the prevalence of co-occurring PTSD and depressive symptoms in each of the time points using c2 tests of independence (including odd ratios). Third, we examined whether PTSD and depressive symptoms are two distinct psychopathological constructs or are they one construct of internalizing-related psychopathology. To this end, we employed multi-group Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). Fourth, we examined the contribution of captivity (ex-POWs vs. controls) to the differences in the 17-year trajectories of PTSD and depressive symptoms using Latent Trajectories Modeling. Finally, we employed parallel process latent growth modeling to examine the contribution of captivity (ex-POWs vs. controls) to the bidirectional associations between PTSD and depressive symptoms over time. We also examined the bidirectional associations between PTSD and depressive symptoms over time regardless