Comprehensive Psychiatry
Volume 46, Issue 1, 2005, Pages 67-80

Development of an inventory for measuring war-related events in refugees (Article)

Hollifield M. , Eckert V. , Warner T.D. , Jenkins J. , Krakow B. , Ruiz J. , Westermeyer J.
  • a Department of Psychiatry, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA, United States, Univ. of Louisville 500 S Preston, Bldg A, Ste 210, Louisville, KY 40202., United States
  • b State of California Dept. of Health, Sacramento, CA, USA, United States
  • c Dept. of Fam. and Community Medicine, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA, United States
  • d Department of Anthropology, Case W. Reserve University Cleveland, OH, USA, United States
  • e Sleep and Human Health Institute, Albuquerque, NM, USA, United States
  • f [Affiliation not available]
  • g Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis Vet. Admin. Med. C., United States

Abstract

Knowledge about the range of war-related events experienced by refugees is lacking. This initial report of the New Mexico Refugee Project (NMRP) details the development of the Comprehensive Trauma Inventory (CTI), the first empirically developed instrument that measures war-related events in community-dwelling refugees. Both expert and participant methods using quantitative and qualitative approaches were used to broaden knowledge about the range of war-related experiences in refugees. The CTI-164, developed by expert rational methods, was administered to 36 Kurdish and 31 Vietnamese refugees along with an in-depth interview (IDI) and five other quantitative instruments measuring symptoms, impairment, and social support. Focus groups (FGs) were also conducted. Text and descriptive analyses, t tests, and correlations were used to analyze data. Refugees reported an average of 150 war-related events on the CTI-164, more than in other studies. IDIs and FGs revealed 123 war-related events and event types that were not on the CTI-164 or other measures currently used. Refugees reported multiple chronic symptoms and significant impairment in daily functioning. The CTI-164 was modestly correlated with symptoms and impairment. The definable number and type of war-related events endured by refugees is greater than in previously published research. Expert rational methods are not adequate to develop an instrument to define war-related events and measure their association with health outcomes. Participatory and qualitative methods reveal events and event types that have not been previously defined. The CTI warrants further testing after revision to incorporate items and event types determined by qualitative methods. © 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

battle injury refugee correlation analysis Sampling Studies human Refugees middle aged war Ethnic Groups medical research controlled study measurement Interview, Psychological Aged social support Cross-Sectional Studies interview Humans male female Aged, 80 and over Viet Nam qualitative analysis clinical article inventory control Article Questionnaires adult Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic publishing quantitative analysis
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-10444232027&doi=10.1016%2fj.comppsych.2004.07.003&partnerID=40&md5=a2c950d243ace1d3529c5c81a472c7dd
DOI: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2004.07.003
ISSN: 0010440X
Cited by: 27
Original Language: English