Post-traumatic stress disorder in adult victims of cluster munitions in Lebanon: a 10-year longitudinal study

Abstract

ObjectiveThis study aims to explore the short-term and long-term prevalence and effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among victims of cluster munitions.Design and settingA prospective 10-year longitudinal study that took place in Lebanon.ParticipantsTwo-hundred-and-forty-four Lebanese civilian victims of submunition blasts, who were injured in 2006 and were over 18 years old, were interviewed. Included were participants who had been diagnosed with PTSD according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5) and the PTSD Checklist - Civilian Version in 2006. Interviewees were present for the 10-year follow-up.Main outcome measuresPTSD prevalence rates of participants in 2006 and 2016 were compared. Analysis of the demographical data pertaining to the association of long-term PTSD with other variables was performed. p Values <0.05 were considered statistically significant for all analyses (95% CI).ResultsAll the 244 civilians injured by cluster munitions in 2006 responded, and were present for long-term follow-up in 2016. The prevalence of PTSD decreased significantly from 98% to 43% after 10 years (p<0.001). A lower long-term prevalence was significantly associated with male sex (p<0.001), family support (p<0.001) and religion (p<0.001). Hospitalisation (p=0.005) and severe functional impairment (p<0.001) post-trauma were significantly associated with increased prevalence of long-term PTSD. Symptoms of negative cognition and mood were more common in the long run. In addition, job instability was the most frequent socioeconomic repercussion among the participants (88%).ConclusionsPsychological symptoms, especially PTSD, remain high in war-affected populations many years after the war; this is particularly evident for Lebanese civilians who were victimised by cluster munitions. Screening programmes and psychological interventions need to be implemented in vulnerable populations exposed to war traumas. Officials and public health advocates should consider the socioeconomic implications, and help raise awareness against the harm induced by cluster munitions and similar weaponry.

Posttraumatic stress disorder among patients with oral and maxillofacial trauma in a South Indian population

“…Our study showed that the mean age in PTSD diagnosed patients was 32.84, and has semblance to other studies reported in the literature. It has been reported that psychological turbulence secondary to a traumatic incident can be overcome by good family support to the patient . Our study shows that patients with less family support exhibited a higher incidence of PTSD, and this was found to be statistically significant.…”

“…It has been reported that psychological turbulence secondary to a traumatic incident can be overcome by good family support to the patient. 26 Our study shows that patients with less family support exhibited a higher incidence of PTSD, and this was found to be statistically significant.…”

Religiosity and the psychological outcomes of trauma: A systematic review of quantitative studies

“…Studies using the term “organised religiosity” were also included here. Religiosity as a predictor of lower severity of PTSD symptoms was demonstrated in Currier, Drescher, and Harris (), Currier, Holland, and Drescher (), Ali, Farooq, Bhatti, and Kuroiwa (), Fares et al (), Israel‐Cohen, Kaplan, Noy, and Kashy‐Rosenbaum (), and Sharma et al (); it predicted lower levels of other types of symptoms in Currier, Mallot, Martinez, Sandy, and Neimeyer (), Finklestein, Laufer, and Solomon (), and Kopacz, Currier, and Pigeon (). Wang, Wang, and Han () showed nonsignificant or negligible associations.…”

Secondary traumatization, relationship problems, and adult children’s well-being: Long-term effects of World War II in the Netherlands

“…For socioeconomic status, there are more general reasons to expect interactions since it has been suggested in the life course literature that high parental resources provide a buffer against the adverse effects of all sorts of negative life events (Mandemakers, 2011). Finally, it has been argued that religiosity provides a coping style for dealing with negative war experiences (Bryant-Davis & Wong, 2013;Fares et al, 2017) and it is possible that this also will benefit the children who were not themselves exposed to war.…”