title: Trauma history is associated with psychological distress and somatic symptoms in homebound older adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the physical health, anxiety, and depressive symptoms of homebound older adults in relation to a history of trauma exposure.
  
  
  METHODS
  Secondary analysis of cross-sectional data.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were recruited by in-home aging services case managers.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample consisted of 136 older adults receiving in-home services.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants completed a research battery that included the Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (SCID), Modified Mini-Mental Status Examination, and Brief Symptom Inventory-18 (BSI-18). Case managers provided standard assessments of health and functional status. Data were analyzed using t tests, chi tests, and logistic regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Approximately half (49%) of the participants reported experiencing a traumatic event. When compared with participants who did not report a history of trauma, trauma-exposed participants were on average 3 years younger, had one more chronic medical condition, were taking two more nonpsychotropic medications, and were more likely to report poor self-rated health. Furthermore, trauma-exposed participants were more likely to experience clinically significant somatic and anxiety symptoms on the BSI-18 and were more likely to meet criteria for a SCID anxiety disorder diagnosis. After controlling for physical health and cognitive functioning, trauma exposure was still associated with psychiatric disorders and higher levels of somatic and anxiety symptoms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Trauma-exposed participants were younger but experienced worse physical and mental health than those without a trauma history. This suggests that trauma exposure across the lifespan could have a long-term negative impact on homebound older adults' health and quality of life.
authors.affiliation: San Diego State University/University of California, San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego, CA, USA. apetkus@ucsd.edu
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Petkus
authors.forename: Amber M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Gum
authors.forename: Bellinda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: King-Kallimanis
authors.forename: Julie Loebach
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Wetherell
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006304:Health Status; D018577:Homebound Persons / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011788:Quality of Life; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000523:psychology*