Adverse race-related events as a risk factor for posttraumatic stress disorder in Asian American Vietnam veterans.
Few studies have explored the relationship between exposure to adverse race-related events and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study examined whether adverse race-related events can give rise to symptoms that meet the criteria for a PTSD diagnosis as specified in the DSM-IV. Three hundred Asian American Vietnam veterans were administered a Mississippi Scale and a questionnaire that assessed exposure to adverse race-related events in the military and associated PTSD symptoms. A subsample was administered the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale. A majority of the participants (77%) reported exposure to adverse race-related events. Depending on the number of events to which they were exposed, between 13% and 36% reported symptoms consistent with meeting full criteria for PTSD. Mississippi Scale scores increased significantly as a function of frequency of exposure to adverse race-related events. These results converge with the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale findings to demonstrate that adverse race-related events can be traumatic and associated with PTSD. These findings support the construct and convergent validity of race-related PTSD.
Department of Veterans Affairs, VA Pacific Islands Health Care System and the National Center for PTSD, Honolulu, HI, USA.
Chalsa M
CM
Loo
John A
JA
Fairbank
Claude M
CM
Chemtob
D000328:Adult; D001213:Asian / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003130:Combat Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010139:Pacific Islands / Q000208:ethnology; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011594:Psychometrics; D011822:Race Relations / Q000523:psychology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*