Journal of Traumatic Stress
Volume 10, Issue 1, 1997, Pages 101-108

The validity of posttraumatic stress disorder among Vietnamese refugees (Article)

Catherine M. , Fawzi S. , Pham T. , Lin L. , Nguyen T.V. , Ngo D. , Murphy E. , Mollica R.F.
  • a Harvard Program in Refugee Trauma, Department of Health Policy, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States, Harvard School of Public Health, Epidemiology Dept., 677 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115, United States
  • b Harvard Program in Refugee Trauma, Department of Health Policy, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
  • c Harvard Program in Refugee Trauma, Department of Health Policy, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
  • d Harvard Program in Refugee Trauma, Department of Health Policy, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
  • e Harvard Program in Refugee Trauma, Department of Health Policy, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
  • f Harvard Program in Refugee Trauma, Department of Health Policy, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
  • g Harvard Program in Refugee Trauma, Department of Health Policy, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
  • h Harvard Program in Refugee Trauma, Department of Health Policy, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the validity of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among Vietnamese refugees. The study population included 74 Vietnamese refugees who had resettled in the metropolitan Boston area. The previously validated Harvard Trauma Questionnaire was used to assess traumatic events and trauma-related symptoms. The number of traumatic events experienced was positively correlated with the severity of PTSD-related symptoms in this population. Internal consistency estimates and principal components analysis provided results that generally supported DSM-IV symptom dimensions of arousal, avoidance, and reexperiencing. However, the emergence of two separate dimensions of avoidance reflected the important contribution of depression to the traumatic response.

Author Keywords

PTSD Validity Refugees immigrants

Index Keywords

Vietnam refugee Factor Analysis, Statistical human Refugees middle aged Interview, Psychological Aged United States arousal Humans Severity of Illness Index male Avoidance Learning Viet Nam Psychiatric Status Rating Scales Reproducibility of Results Article major clinical study adult posttraumatic stress disorder Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic Boston
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-8044234355&doi=10.1023%2fA%3a1024812514796&partnerID=40&md5=f713016a1ff7225c516f70c0990bf29d
DOI: 10.1023/A:1024812514796
ISSN: 08949867
Cited by: 71
Original Language: English