International Journal of Culture and Mental Health
Volume 11, Issue 3, 2018, Pages 321-331

Contextualizing post-traumatic stress disorder within culturally diverse groups: a comparison of Holocaust survivors and Sudanese refugees (Article)

White J.* , Newman L. , Melvin G. , Manderson L. , Simpson K.
  • a Centre for Developmental Psychiatry & Psychology, Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
  • b Centre for Woman Mental health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
  • c Centre for Developmental Psychiatry & Psychology, Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia, Centre for Educational Development, Appraisal and Research, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
  • d School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
  • e HDR Consultant in Statistics, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia

Abstract

Debate over the validity of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in culturally and contextually diverse groups with histories of trauma needs to consider clinical response, and while not overlooking the presence of PTSD, sensitivity to contextual variation in response to trauma is important. We report on a study that examined PTSD within two culturally distinct populations living in Australia: Sudanese refugees and Holocaust survivors. Measures used included the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire - Revised and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale–Brief (WHOQOL-Bref). Samples were contrasted using T-tests for PTSD case-ness, Mann–Whitney U’s to compare PTSD symptom endorsement and Pearson correlations to explore relationships between PTSD case-ness and symptoms with quality of life (QOL). Whilst PTSD case-ness was found to negatively correlate with QOL in both groups, group differences were found in relationship strength between traumatic memory and QOL. Difference indicates the need to contextualize PTSD and its symptoms not only by considering symptom endorsement, but also by symptom interpretation. © 2017, © 2017 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Author Keywords

cultural responses Holocaust survivors PTSD Sudanese trauma

Index Keywords

[No Keywords available]
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85031088341&doi=10.1080%2f17542863.2017.1377271&partnerID=40&md5=fa688d9806538ee070f23d0814fb5f63
DOI: 10.1080/17542863.2017.1377271
ISSN: 17542863
Cited by: 1
Original Language: English