Depression and Anxiety
Volume 29, Issue 2, 2012, Pages 147-154

Treatment change of somatic symptoms and cultural syndromes among Cambodian refugees with PTSD (Article)

Hinton D.E.* , Kredlow M.A. , Bui E. , Pollack M.H. , Hofmann S.G.
  • a Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States, Arbour Counseling Services, Lowell, MA, United States, Department of Psychology, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
  • b Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
  • c Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States, Laboratoire du Stress Traumatique, Universite Toulouse 3, Toulouse, France
  • d Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
  • e Department of Psychology, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States

Abstract

Background: There is only one previously published study of treatment change across initial pharmacological treatment for a minority or refugee group with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). That study found that certain somatic symptoms among Southeast Asian populations did not improve across treatment. This article assesses in a culturally sensitive way symptom change through time of Cambodian patients presenting for pharmacotherapy treatment of PTSD. Methods: Fifty-six Cambodian refugees with PTSD and no previous psychiatric treatment were assessed at baseline and then at 3 and 6 months after initiating pharmacotherapy. The measures included the PTSD Checklist; the Cambodian Somatic Symptom and Syndrome Inventory (SSI) to assess culturally salient somatic symptoms and cultural syndromes; and the Short Form-12 Health Survey to assess self-perceived functioning. Results: Across treatment, large effect sizes were seen on all measures (Cohen's d=1.1-1.4). The SF-12 change score was more highly correlated to the SSI change score (r=.82) than to the PTSD change score (r=.61). Significant change only occurred from baseline to 3 months. Conclusions: Pharmacological treatment for traumatized Cambodian refugees with PTSD seems to lead to improvement not only in PTSD symptoms, but also in culturally salient somatic symptoms and cultural syndromes. Culturally sensitive assessment and treatment should ideally include the assessment of culturally salient somatic symptoms and cultural syndromes. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

weakness Cambodia Massachusetts Cambodian blurred vision cold limb leg pain human Refugees middle aged priority journal clonazepam decreased appetite neck pain tinnitus dizziness Humans Severity of Illness Index headache male female cognition Article major clinical study adult posttraumatic stress disorder Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic dyspnea disease severity heart palpitation Cultural Characteristics Short Form 12

Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84859817437&doi=10.1002%2fda.20905&partnerID=40&md5=e9e8ceb590655a66c9131f89b5b519d8

DOI: 10.1002/da.20905
ISSN: 10914269
Cited by: 33
Original Language: English