title: Community violence and PTSD in selected South African townships.
abstract: Given the high rates of crime in South Africa's townships, nonpolitical violence out-side the home and its psychological impact on women were investigated within two samples, the primary a help-seeking sample and the secondary a community sample. In the help-seeking sample, two thirds of the women reported having experienced several traumatic events outside the home. Those women displayed a median of 9 PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) symptoms, with nearly half meeting all criteria for PTSD. In the community sample, 40 women of color were interviewed at a community festival for women, and again two thirds reported having experienced several traumatic events outside the home during the previous year. These women displayed a median of 8.8 PTSD symptoms, with none meeting all criteria for PTSD. South Africa's distinctive culture of violence is discussed as context for understanding issues of community violence and PTSD among women in its minority townships.
authors.affiliation: Xavier University, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
authors.forename: B Ann
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Dinan
authors.forename: George J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: McCall
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gibson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018585:Battered Women / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012931:Social Environment; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014754:Violence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016387:Women's Health