BACKGROUND: Sustained political violence (SPV) may have long-term effects. AIMS: To assess mental and residual effects of exposure to SPV. To validate a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) assessment tool in Quechua-speaking Peru. METHOD: Survey of 373 individuals aged 15 and over using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL-25) and a Trauma Questionnaire (TQ), derived from the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire. Sociodemographics were recorded. Reliability was assessed. Data reduction used factor analysis and modelling multiple regressions. RESULTS: A quarter of the sample had symptoms compatible with PTSD. Questionnaire reliability ranged from 0.81 to 0.89. Factor analysis confirmed high construct validity for TQ and HSCL-25. Modelling showed a strong association of PTSD-related symptoms and expressions of distress with the degree of exposure to SPV, especially among returnees. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term consequences of exposure to SPV take the form of PTSD, anxiety and depressive disorders, and culturally formulated expressions of distress. Some implications for clinicians are discussed.
BACKGROUND:Sustained political violence (SPV) may have long-term effects. AIMS: To assess mental and residual effects of exposure to SPV. To validate a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) assessment tool in Quechua-speaking Peru. METHOD: Survey of 373 individuals aged 15 and over using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL-25) and a Trauma Questionnaire (TQ), derived from the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire. Sociodemographics were recorded. Reliability was assessed. Data reduction used factor analysis and modelling multiple regressions. RESULTS: A quarter of the sample had symptoms compatible with PTSD. Questionnaire reliability ranged from 0.81 to 0.89. Factor analysis confirmed high construct validity for TQ and HSCL-25. Modelling showed a strong association of PTSD-related symptoms and expressions of distress with the degree of exposure to SPV, especially among returnees. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term consequences of exposure to SPV take the form of PTSD, anxiety and depressive disorders, and culturally formulated expressions of distress. Some implications for clinicians are discussed.
Authors: Joseph T F Lau; Yoona Kim; Anise M S Wu; Zixin Wang; Bishan Huang; Phoenix K H Mo Journal: Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol Date: 2017-03-03 Impact factor: 4.328
Authors: Victor D Puac-Polanco; Victor A Lopez-Soto; Robert Kohn; Dawei Xie; Therese S Richmond; Charles C Branas Journal: Am J Public Health Date: 2015-02-25 Impact factor: 9.308
Authors: Christian Loret de Mola; Sanja Stanojevic; Paulo Ruiz; Robert H Gilman; Liam Smeeth; J Jaime Miranda Journal: Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol Date: 2011-06-12 Impact factor: 4.328