BMC Psychiatry
Volume 14, Issue 1, 2014

Course of post-traumatic stress disorder and health care utilisation among resettled refugees in the Netherlands (Article) (Open Access)

Lamkaddem M.* , Stronks K. , Devillé W.D. , Olff M. , Gerritsen A.A.M. , Essink-Bot M.-L.
  • a Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
  • b Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
  • c Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research (NIVEL), Utrecht, Netherlands, Medical Anthropology and Sociology Unit, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands, Pharos, Utrecht, Netherlands
  • d Center for Psychological Trauma, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands, Arq Psychotrauma Expert Group, Diemen, Netherlands
  • e Epi Results, Louis Trichardt, South Africa
  • f Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Abstract

Background: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a major health problem among refugees worldwide. After resettlement, the prevalence of PTSD remains high despite the fact that various PTSD treatments are known to be effective.Methods: We examined the course of PTSD and the role of mental health care utilisation at a 7-year interval (2003-2010) among a cohort of refugees from Iran, Afghanistan, and Somalia after resettlement in the Netherlands.Results: The unchanged high prevalence of PTSD (16.3% in 2003 and 15.2% in 2010) was attributable in part to late onset of PTSD symptoms (half of the respondents with PTSD at T2 were new cases for whom PTSD developed after 2003). The second reason concerned the low use of mental health care services at T1. Whereas the multivariate analyses showed the effectiveness of mental health care, only 21% of respondents with PTSD at T1 had had contact with a mental health care provider at that time. Use of mental health care during the first wave increased the odds of improvement in PTSD symptoms between both measurements (OR 7.58, 95% CI 1.01; 56.85).Conclusions: The findings of this study suggest there are two possible explanations for the persistently high prevalence of PTSD among refugees. One is the late onset of PTSD and the other is the low utilisation of mental health care. Health care professionals should be aware of these issues, especially given the effectiveness of mental health care for this condition. © 2014 Lamkaddem et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

Netherlands Afghanistan refugee mental health service human Refugees middle aged controlled study health status Mental Health Services ethnology psychosocial care Iran mental health care asylum seeker Humans psychology male female prevalence Article health care utilization major clinical study adult migration posttraumatic stress disorder Somalia Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic patient attitude cohort analysis Patient Acceptance of Health Care practice guideline mental health care personnel clinical effectiveness
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84901980007&doi=10.1186%2f1471-244X-14-90&partnerID=40&md5=d51ff4ab64d902bde7d5c2f37ebe9043
DOI: 10.1186/1471-244X-14-90
ISSN: 1471244X
Cited by: 14
Original Language: English