Journal of Anxiety Disorders
Volume 21, Issue 1, 2007, Pages 42-58

Gastrointestinal-focused panic attacks among Cambodian refugees: Associated psychopathology, flashbacks, and catastrophic cognitions (Article)

Hinton D.E.* , Chhean D. , Fama J.M. , Pollack M.H. , McNally R.J.
  • a Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, 15 Parkman Street, WACC 812, Boston, United States, Southeast Asian Clinic, Arbour Counseling, Lowell, MA, United States
  • b Southeast Asian Clinic, Arbour Counseling, Lowell, MA, United States
  • c Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, 15 Parkman Street, WACC 812, Boston, United States
  • d Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, 15 Parkman Street, WACC 812, Boston, United States
  • e Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States

Abstract

Among Cambodian refugees attending a psychiatric clinic, we assessed psychopathology associated with gastrointestinal panic (GIP), and investigated possible causal mechanisms, including "fear of fear" and GIP-associated flashbacks and catastrophic cognitions. GIP (n = 46) patients had greater psychopathology (Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale [CAPS] and Symptom Checklist-90-R [SCL]) and "fear of fear" (Anxiety Sensitivity Index [ASI]) than did non-GIP patients (n = 84). Logistic regression revealed that general psychopathology (SCL; odds ratio = 4.1) and fear of anxiety-related sensations (ASI; odds ratio = 2.4) predicted the presence of GIP. Among GIP patients, a hierarchical regression revealed that GIP-associated trauma recall and catastrophic cognitions explained variance in GIP severity beyond a measure of general psychopathology (SCL). A mediational analysis indicated that SCL's effect on GIP severity was mediated by GIP-associated flashbacks and catastrophic cognitions. © 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Author Keywords

posttraumatic stress disorder Gastrointestinal panic Flashbacks Panic attack Catastrophic cognitions Cambodian refugees

Index Keywords

rating scale Metaphor Panic Disorder refugee anxiety disorder regression analysis memory Cambodia human psychologic assessment Refugees controlled study nausea disaster panic starvation mental disease United States Humans mental patient Adolescent Severity of Illness Index male female cognition Disasters Article Questionnaires adult major clinical study posttraumatic stress disorder Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic agoraphobia disease severity recall gastrointestinal panic Somatoform Disorders Gastrointestinal Diseases Child
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-33846337797&doi=10.1016%2fj.janxdis.2006.03.009&partnerID=40&md5=ec775311c2294cc12f2a40116928c786
DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2006.03.009
ISSN: 08876185
Cited by: 19
Original Language: English