Posttraumatic stress symptoms and structure among orphan and vulnerable children and adolescents in Zambia.
BACKGROUND
Scant information exists on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and structure in youth from developing countries.


METHODS
We describe the symptom profile and exposure to trauma experiences among 343 orphan and vulnerable children and adolescents from Zambia. We distinguished profiles of posttraumatic stress symptoms using latent class analysis.


RESULTS
Average number of trauma-related symptoms (21.6; range 0-38) was similar across sex and age. Latent class model suggested three classes varying by level of severity: low (31% of the sample), medium (45% of the sample), and high (24% of the sample) symptomatology.


CONCLUSIONS
Results suggest that PTSD is a continuously distributed latent trait.
Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Mental Health, Room 811, 624 N. Broadway ST, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
Itziar
I
Familiar
Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Mental Health, Room 811, 624 N. Broadway ST, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
Laura
L
Murray
Harvard Medical School, Institute for Aging Research, Boston, MA, USA.
Alden
A
Gross
Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Mental Health, Room 811, 624 N. Broadway ST, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
Stephanie
S
Skavenski
Catholic Relief Services, Lusaka, Zambia.
Elizabeth
E
Jere
Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Mental Health, Room 811, 624 N. Broadway ST, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
Judith
J
Bass
Trauma; assessment; cross-cultural; posttraumatic stress disorder