title: The 6-month prevalence of posttraumatic stress syndrome (PTSS) among older adults: validity and reliability of the PTSS scale.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To document the 6-month prevalence of posttraumatic stress syndrome (PTSS) in the older adult population and the validity of a PTSS Scale in an epidemiologic setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data came from the Enquête sur la santé des aînés et l'utilisation des services de santé (ESA Services Study) conducted during 2012-2013 using a probability sample of older adults seeking medical services in primary health clinics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results showed that a first-order PTSS measurement model consisting of 3 indicators-the number of lifetime traumatic events, the frequency of reactions and symptoms of distress associated with the traumatic events, and the presence of consequences on the social functioning-was plausible. Reliability of the PTSS was 0.82. According to the PTSS, 11.1% of the older adult patients presented with PTSS, but only 21.7% of them reported an impact of their symptoms on their social functioning. The prevalence of older adults meeting the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, criteria for full posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) reached 1.8%, and 1.8% of older adults reached criteria for partial PTSD. Our results also showed that women were more at risk to report PTSS than men and that older adults aged 75 years and older were less likely to report these symptoms than those aged between 65 and 74 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PTSS is a common mental health problem among adults aged 65 and older and seeking health services in the general medical sector.
authors.affiliation: Professor, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec; Researcher, Research Centre, Charles LeMoyne Hospital, Longueuil, Quebec.
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Préville
authors.affiliation: Student, Clinical Sciences Program, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lamoureux-Lamarche
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec; Researcher, Research Centre, Charles LeMoyne Hospital, Longueuil, Quebec.
authors.forename: Helen-Maria
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Vasiliadis
authors.affiliation: Researcher, Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal (CRIUGM), Montreal, Quebec.
authors.forename: Sébastien
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Grenier
authors.affiliation: Student, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Bordeaux, France.
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Potvin
authors.affiliation: Family Physician, Centre Médical St-Hubert, Saint-Hubert, Quebec; Chief of Regional Department of General Medicine of Montérégie, Montérégie, Quebec.
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Quesnel
authors.affiliation: Student, Clinical Sciences Program, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec.
authors.forename: Samantha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gontijo-Guerra
authors.affiliation: Researcher, Enquête sur la santé des aînés Research Program, Charles Le Moyne Hospital, Longueuil, Quebec.
authors.forename: Samia Djemaa
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Mechakra-Tahiri
authors.affiliation: Senior Statistician, Research Centre, Charles LeMoyne Hospital, Longueuil, Quebec.
authors.forename: Djamal
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Berbiche
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000592:standards*; D011792:Quebec / Q000453:epidemiology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*