The role of criterion A2 in the DSM-IV diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder.

Background: Controversy exists about the utility of DSM-IV posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) criterion A2 (A2): that exposure to a potentially traumatic experience (PTE; PTSD criterion A1) is accompanied by intense fear, helplessness, or horror.

Methods: Lifetime DSM-IV PTSD was assessed with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview in community surveys of 52,826 respondents across 21 countries in the World Mental Health Surveys.

Results: Of 28,490 representative PTEs reported by respondents, 37.