Posttraumatic Stress, Somatizations and Quality of Life Among Ivorian Refugees

Details

Serval ID
serval:BIB_5A4BCD4EFC3B
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Publication sub-type
Minutes: analyse of a published work.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
Posttraumatic Stress, Somatizations and Quality of Life Among Ivorian Refugees
Journal
Journal of Traumatic Stress
Author(s)
Kounou Kossi, Brodard Fabrice, Gnassingbe Afèignindou, Foli Ayoko, Sager Julia, Schmitt Laurent, Bui Eric
Publication state
Published
Issued date
17/12/2017
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
30
Number
6
Pages
682-689
Language
english
Abstract
The present study examined the relationship between peritraumatic reactions, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, somatization, and quality of life (QoL) in a sample of refugees, two years after the 2011 Ivory Coast sociopolitical crisis. Participants were 101 Ivorian adult refugees (mean age = 31.61 years, SD = 7.84; 45.5% women) who completed several questionnaires relating to peritraumatic reactions, PTSD symptoms, somatization, and QoL. Most participants (86.1%) scored above the cutoff for probable PTSD. Peritraumatic dissociation and peritraumatic distress were significantly associated with PTSD symptoms, (r = .64, p < .001) and (r = .60, p < .001), respectively, and somatization, (r = .21, p = .038) and (r = .35, p < .001), respectively, as well as with QoL, (r = -.20, p = .045) and (r = -.21, p = .037), respectively. Similarly, QoL was significantly negatively correlated with PTSD symptoms (r = -.33, p < .001) and somatization (r = -.39, p < .001). In multivariate analyses, somatization was the strongest predictor of QoL (β = -.31, p = .003). Finally, somatization statistically mediated the association between peritraumatic distress and QoL. These findings suggest that PTSD may be frequent among Ivorian refugees, and that somatization may be an important feature of the traumatic experiences. Targeting somatization in conjunction with trauma-centered therapy may improve outcomes in sub-Saharan Africans with PTSD.
Pubmed
Create date
09/10/2017 13:31
Last modification date
20/08/2019 14:13
Usage data