title: Somatisation and anger are associated with symptom severity of posttraumatic stress disorder in severely traumatised refugees and asylum seekers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Most research on refugee mental health has focused on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Besides PTSD, however, traumatised refugees are often burdened by comorbid somatic and psychiatric conditions, as well as postmigration living difficulties (PMLD). It is unclear how these conditions interfere with presentation and treatment of PTSD.
  
  
  METHODS
  This preliminary cross-sectional study investigated 134 severely traumatised refugees and asylum seekers in treatment in two psychiatric outpatient units in Switzerland. Trauma exposure, PMLD, somatisation and explosive anger were assessed and related to symptom severity of PTSD using correlation and regression analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PTSD symptoms were significantly related to somatisation, anger, PMLD and trauma exposure. Regression analysis revealed that PTSD symptoms were mainly predicted by somatisation and anger.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Symptom severity of PTSD is associated with somatisation, explosive anger and, to a lesser extent, PMLD. Standard PTSD treatment may benefit from implementing targeted strategies to assess and address these factors in traumatised refugees.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, University of Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Tobias R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Spiller
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, University of Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Matthis
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schick
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, University of Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Schnyder
authors.affiliation: University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Richard A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Bryant
authors.affiliation: University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nickerson
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, University of Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Naser
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Morina
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000786:Anger; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012036:Refugees / Q000523:psychology*; D057566:Self Report; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013557:Switzerland; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000523:psychology*