Language Acquisition in Relation to Cumulative Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptom Load over Time in a Sample of Resettled Refugees

Söndergaard, Hans Peter; Theorell, Töres

doi:10.1159/000078849

Cited by 45 publications

(40 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…Social integration in the country of resettlement can be stressful, and PTSD can further hinder language acquisition [89], cause social isolation [90] and increase acculturation stress [91]. A positive association was found between mental health symptoms and acculturation stress in both immigrants and refugees [92-94].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Posttraumatic growth, depressive symptoms, posttraumatic stress symptoms, post-migration stressors and quality of life in multi-traumatized psychiatric outpatients with a refugee background in Norway

Teodorescu

Siqveland

Heir

et al. 2012

Health Qual Life Outcomes

121

148

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BackgroundPsychiatric outpatients with a refugee background have often been exposed to a variety of potentially traumatizing events, with numerous negative consequences for their mental health and quality of life. However, some patients also report positive personal changes, posttraumatic growth, related to these potentially traumatic events. This study describes posttraumatic growth, posttraumatic stress symptoms, depressive symptoms, post-migration stressors, and their association with quality of life in an outpatient psychiatric population with a refugee background in Norway.MethodsFifty five psychiatric outpatients with a refugee background participated in a cross-sectional study using clinical interviews to measure psychopathology (SCID-PTSD, MINI), and four self-report instruments measuring posttraumatic growth, posttraumatic stress symptoms, depressive symptoms, and quality of life (PTGI-SF, IES-R, HSCL-25-depression scale, and WHOQOL-Bref) as well as measures of social integration, social network and employment status.ResultsAll patients reported some degree of posttraumatic growth, while only 31% reported greater amounts of growth. Eighty percent of the patients had posttraumatic stress symptoms above the cut-off point, and 93% reported clinical levels of depressive symptoms. Quality of life in the four domains of the WHOQOL-Bref levels were low, well below the threshold for the’life satisfaction’ standard proposed by Cummins.A hierarchic regression model including depressive symptoms, posttraumatic stress symptoms, posttraumatic growth, and unemployment explained 56% of the total variance found in the psychological health domain of the WHOQOL-Bref scale. Posttraumatic growth made the strongest contribution to the model, greater than posttraumatic stress symptoms or depressive symptoms. Post-migration stressors like unemployment, weak social network and poor social integration were moderately negatively correlated with posttraumatic growth and quality of life, and positively correlated with psychopathological symptoms. Sixty percent of the outpatients were unemployed.ConclusionsMulti-traumatized refugees in outpatient clinics reported both symptoms of psychopathology and posttraumatic growth after exposure to multiple traumatic events. Symptoms of psychopathology were negatively related to the quality of life, and positively related to post-migration stressors such as unemployment, weak social network and poor social integration. Posttraumatic growth was positively associated with quality of life, and negatively associated with post-migration stressors. Hierarchical regression modeling showed that posttraumatic growth explained more of the variance in quality of life than did posttraumatic stress symptoms, depressive symptoms or unemployment. It may therefore be necessary to address both positive changes and psychopathological symptoms when assessing and treating multi-traumatized outpatients with a refugee background.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Posttraumatic growth, depressive symptoms, posttraumatic stress symptoms, post-migration stressors and quality of life in multi-traumatized psychiatric outpatients with a refugee background in Norway

Teodorescu

Siqveland

Heir

et al. 2012

Health Qual Life Outcomes

121

148

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Neuropsychological assessment studies in war-related PTSD have mainly been done on US veteran samples, with only few studies presenting data from different cultural groups (e.g., Gil, Calev, Greenberg, Kugelmass, & Lerer, 1990;Kivling-Boden & Sundbom, 2003;Söndergaard & Theorell, 2004). In the present study, we focus on the effects of exposure to political violence on the cognitive functioning of a civilian non-combatant sample, using an empirically validated EF model, in an attempt to both replicate previous findings and to shed further light on the clinical significance of executive impairment in PTSD.…”

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confidence: 99%

Executive deficits in chronic PTSD related to political violence

Kanagaratnam¹,

Asbjørnsen²

2007

Journal of Anxiety Disorders

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“…[38][39][40][41] Studies with refugees have identified a relationship between depressive symptomatology and cognitive impairment that makes the acculturation process difficult. [42][43][44][45][46][47][48] High-risk behaviors have also been associated with the dissolution of family support networks, homelessness, long-term unemployment and poverty. [49][50][51][52] We found that women's reduced access to social capital resources, including their social networks, may have played a role in their engagement in unsafe behaviors.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Acculturative trajectories descriptions and implications for health among 12 Mexican deported women who inject drugs

Rodriguez-Montejano¹,

Ojeda

Valles-Medina³

et al. 2015

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Introduction. Between 1999-2007, the U.S. deported 4.8 million migrants to Mexico; of these, 1.1 million migrants were deported to the border city of Tijuana, Baja California. Deportees are often returned to unfamiliar communities where they may experience emotional and socioeconomic stressors that may raise their risk for engaging in unsafe behaviors. Objective. This exploratory study describes adaptation to the post-deportation environment among Mexican-born injection drug-using women. Method. In 2008, we conducted qualitative interviews in Tijuana with 12 women reporting U.S. deportation. Our analytic framework focused on acculturation stress, adaptation and social capital in relation to HIV risk, considering a gender perspective. Results. We found that the stress caused by the deportation experience and acclimating to the post-deportation community may have contributed to the women’s participation in high-risk HIV behaviors (e.g., unprotected sex, sex work). Female deportees reported limited access to post-deportation social capital resources (e.g., social support, healthy social networks). Social factors (e.g., discrimination, lack of a government identification) challenged women’s resettlement and likely contributed to economic and health vulnerabilities. Discussion and conclusion. These preliminary findings suggest that deportees may benefit from organized services at repatriation, including mental health screening. Macro-level interventions that address stigma and facilitate deportees’ economic integration may help stem engagement in risk behaviors.

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Language Acquisition in Relation to Cumulative Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptom Load over Time in a Sample of Resettled Refugees

Cited by 45 publications

References 17 publications

Posttraumatic growth, depressive symptoms, posttraumatic stress symptoms, post-migration stressors and quality of life in multi-traumatized psychiatric outpatients with a refugee background in Norway

Posttraumatic growth, depressive symptoms, posttraumatic stress symptoms, post-migration stressors and quality of life in multi-traumatized psychiatric outpatients with a refugee background in Norway

Executive deficits in chronic PTSD related to political violence

Acculturative trajectories descriptions and implications for health among 12 Mexican deported women who inject drugs

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