title: Somatic Symptoms Mediate the Relationship Between Trauma During the Arab Spring and Quality of Life Among Tunisians.
abstract: This study examined the relationship between peritraumatic reactions, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, somatic complaints, and quality of life in Tunisians exposed to the events of the Arab Spring. Participants (n = 60) completed an online survey 1 year after the events, assessing peritraumatic distress, peritraumatic dissociation, PTSD symptoms, somatic complaints, and physical and mental quality of life. Results showed that peritraumatic dissociation was independently associated with increased PTSD symptoms and somatic complaints 12 months after the events. Multiple mediator mediation analyses revealed that somatic complaints (not PTSD symptoms) were the only independent mediators of the relationships between peritraumatic dissociation and both physical and mental quality of life. Assessing peritraumatic dissociation soon after trauma exposure among the North African population might help identify individuals at risk for PTSD. Furthermore, the impact of trauma on quality of life may be better explained by somatic complaints than PTSD symptoms among North Africans.
authors.affiliation: *Department of Psychiatry, Université de Toulouse, France; †Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Canada; ‡Massachusetts General Hospital and §Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; ∥Department of Psychology, Université de Toulouse, France; ¶Centre Hospitalier Esquirol, Department of Psychiatry; and #INSERM, UMR 1094, Department of Tropical Neuroepidemiology, Limoges, France.
authors.forename: Soraya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hiar
authors.forename: Charmaine L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Devon E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Hinton
authors.forename: Juliette
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Salles
authors.forename: Nelly
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Goutaudier
authors.forename: Bertrand
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Olliac
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bui
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D011057:Politics; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014416:Tunisia / Q000453:epidemiology; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology*