Diagnosing posttraumatic stress disorder in multicultural patients in a Stockholm psychiatric clinic.
Our objective was to test the assessment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and associated symptoms in a multicultural immigrant/refugee population at a psychiatric out-patient clinic. The pilot study included volunteer patients who were randomly assigned to an intervention group (N = 33), who received SCID diagnosis and a battery of life event questionnaires, and a referent group (N = 30), who received the standard diagnostic program. All were followed-up for 1 year. Forty percent of the intervention group, but none in the referent group, were judged to have PTSD. In the intervention group, positive significant correlations were found between HTQ and HSCL-25 and SCID, Axis I PTSD. Experience of trauma influenced the ill-health in the psychometric indices, and the psychometric indices correlated negatively with present and optimal functioning. A targeted trauma approach toward multicultural psychiatric patients using a multidisciplinary team and validated psychometric tools provided sensitive and accurate diagnostic information for this group.
Ekblad
S
S
Department of Clinical Neuroscience and Family Medicine, Karolinska Institute/Huddinge University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
Roth
G
G
D000328:Adult; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003625:Data Collection; D004641:Emigration and Immigration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010348:Patient Care Team; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011567:Psychiatric Department, Hospital; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012036:Refugees / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology