Sensory Modulation Difficulties and PTSD: A Prospective Study During and After Rocket Attacks

Objective: Civilians in war may suffer from distress not only during the peritraumatic phase, manifested in early trauma-related symptoms, but also after the trauma ends, as reflected in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Evidence has suggested that early trauma-related symptoms underlie the development of PTSD. Additionally, research has revealed relations between sensory responsiveness and both early trauma-related symptoms and PTSD, thus implying that individuals with sensory modulation difficulties may exhibit elevated symptomatology at the peritraumatic phase and may be at risk for PTSD. Nevertheless, the crosssectional design of former studies allowed neither identifying the directionality of the relationship between sensory modulation and PTSD nor exploring the role of early trauma-related symptoms within this relationship. Method: The current prospective study, which was aimed at bridging these knowledge gaps, was conducted among a convenience sample of Israeli adults (n = 209) during rocket attacks (T1) and 40–71 days after ceasefire (T2). Background variables, sensory modulation difficulties, early trauma-related symptoms, and PTSD symptoms were assessed online via self-report measures. Results: Results revealed that high sensory responsiveness was related to early trauma-related symptoms and predicted PTSD symptoms of hyperarousal, intrusion, and negative alterations in mood and cognitions. Moreover, early trauma-related symptomatology mediated the relations between high sensory responsiveness and PTSD symptoms of intrusion and negative alterations in mood and cognitions. Conclusion: The current findings suggest that high sensory responsiveness is a risk factor for PTSD and that early trauma-related symptomatology may serve as a mechanism underlying the relationship between high sensory responsiveness and PTSD.