Journal of Traumatic Stress
Volume 12, Issue 3, 1999, Pages 421-435

Pathways from war trauma to posttraumatic stress symptoms among Tamil asylum seekers, refugees, and immigrants (Article)

Steel Z. , Silove D.* , Bird K. , McGorry P. , Mohan P.
  • a Psychiat. Research and Teaching Unit, University of New South Wales, Liverpool Hospital, Liverpool, NSW 2170, Australia
  • b Psychiat. Research and Teaching Unit, University of New South Wales, Liverpool Hospital, Liverpool, NSW 2170, Australia
  • c School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW, Australia
  • d Ctr. for Young People's Mental Hlth., Parkville, Vic. 3052, Australia
  • e Psychiat. Research and Teaching Unit, University of New South Wales, Liverpool Hospital, Liverpool, NSW 2170, Australia

Abstract

Path analysis was used to examine the antecedents of posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms in Tamil asylum-seekers, refugees, and immigrants in Australia. The Harvard Trauma Questionnaire and a postmigration living difficulties questionnaire were completed by 62 asylum-seekers, 30 refugees, and 104 immigrants who responded to a mail-out. Demographic characteristics, residency status, and measures of trauma and postmigration stress were fitted to a structural model in PTS symptoms. Premigration trauma exposure accounted for 20% of the variance of PTS symptoms. Postmigration stress contributed 14% of the variance. Although limited by sampling constraints and retrospective measurement, the study supports the notion that both traumatic and posttraumatic events contribute to the expression of PTS symptoms.

Author Keywords

Posttraumatic environment Path analysis posttraumatic stress Tamils

Index Keywords

battle injury immigrant refugee regression analysis Australia minority group Factor Analysis, Statistical human Refugees middle aged war Residence Characteristics Sri Lanka Humans male female Risk Factors questionnaire New South Wales Article Retrospective Studies Questionnaires adult major clinical study posttraumatic stress disorder Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic Emigration and Immigration Analysis of Variance
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-0032766201&doi=10.1023%2fA%3a1024710902534&partnerID=40&md5=ebe75652017c321502c00a2c2a9862e1
DOI: 10.1023/A:1024710902534
ISSN: 08949867
Cited by: 162
Original Language: English