A community cohort of 145 Vietnamese boat refugees in Norway was prospectively studied for presence of chronic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after resettlement. Ten percent had PTSD on arrival and/or after 3 years. This group had been exposed to significantly more traumatic stress before their escape (e.g., reeducation camps, combat, and other war incidents) and had more psychopathology (SCL-90-R Global Assessment Scale) after resettlement. A logistic regression analysis indicated that different types of traumatic stress had an independent relationship with chronic PTSD. Nine SCL-90-R items discriminated between the PTSD group and the rest both on arrival and follow-up. These were not anxiety items, but related to interpersonal sensitivity, somatization, and aggression. The inclusion of additional diagnostic features in the criteria for chronic PTSD is indicated. © 1994 by Williams & Wilkins.

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anxiety Vietnam Diagnosis, Differential refugee Norway clinical trial Prospective Studies human Life Change Events Refugees Cohort Studies chronic disease mental disease disease course Aggression Adolescent male female Viet Nam Personality Inventory Psychiatric Status Rating Scales symptom prevalence Article major clinical study adult posttraumatic stress disorder Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic