Posttraumatic stress disorder among African Americans in an inner city mental health clinic.
This study examined 184 African-American outpatients in a mental health clinic in the inner city to define the rate of occurrence of traumatic experience and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This population experienced a high rate of severe trauma. Forty-three percent were found to have PTSD, as measured by the PTSD Symptom Scale. Finally, a chart review of 72 participants found that only 11 percent of participants who met DSM-IV criteria for PTSD also had a chart diagnosis of PTSD. PTSD is a common yet underrecognized and undertreated source of psychiatric morbidity in this urban community of African Americans with low socioeconomic status.
Schwartz
Ann C
AC
Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. aschwa2@emory.edu
Bradley
Rebekah L
RL
Sexton
Melissa
M
Sherry
Alissa
A
Ressler
Kerry J
KJ
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000368:Aged; D003155:Community Mental Health Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000628:therapy*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D019037:Urban Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*