Depressive features in Holocaust survivors with post-traumatic stress disorder.
The present study was designed to explore several aspects of depressive phenomenology, including current symptoms, dependency (anaclitic) and self-criticism (introjective) themes, and issues of self-efficacy, in Holocaust survivors with and without posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The Depressive Subscale of the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90) and the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire (DEQ) were administered to 23 Holocaust survivors and 18 demographically-matched controls. Holocaust survivors with PTSD scored significantly higher on the SCL-90 depression scale, and portrayed more self-criticism on the DEQ, than Holocaust survivors without PTSD and demographically-matched non-exposed subjects. The data suggest that depressive symptoms in individuals who have been severely traumatized are more severe when associated with a concurrent PTSD. Furthermore, groups suffering different types of trauma may show similarities in psychological dimensions of depression.
Yehuda
R
R
Psychiatry Department, Mount Sinai School of Medicine-Bronx VAMC, New York, New York 10468.
Kahana
B
B
Southwick
S M
SM
Giller
E L
EL
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003858:Dependency, Psychological; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006167:Guilt; D017767:Holocaust / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D007585:Jews / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D016555:Matched-Pair Analysis; D008875:Middle Aged; D012649:Self Concept; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology