Background:Findings from prospective studies question the assumption that mental health
problems observed in traumatized adults mainly reflect the effects of
potentially traumatic events.Aims:Aim of the present comparative prospective study is to clarify the extent to
which victims of potentially traumatic events with mental health, social,
financial, and/or legal problems, already suffered from such problems before
these events.Method:Data was extracted from three surveys of the prospective VICTIMS-study
(T1 = 2018, T2 = 2019, T3 = 2020), conducted with the population-based
longitudinal LISS-panel. Differences between victims
(n= 340, victimized by violence, accidents, and serious
threats in the 12 months before T3) and nonvictims
(n= 3,872, not victimized by such events in this period),
were examined using multivariate logistic regression analyses.Results:The large majority of victims with current (at T3) anxiety and depression
symptomatology (74%), general mental health problems (71%), partner/family
(67%), financial (76%), and legal problems (58%), and lack of support (79%),
already had these problems (at T1 and/or at T2). A similar pattern was
observed among nonvictims. Of the victims with current probable PTSD (at
T3), 87% already had any mental health problem. At T3, among both groups,
the incidence of problems was substantially lower than their prevalence. The
large majority of victims with post-event mental health, social, financial,
and legal problems already suffered from these problems in the past.Conclusions:When victims seek help for their problems, professional care providers should
be aware that in most cases, as among nonvictims, these problems are
chronic/re-current rather than new problems.