Posttraumatic Stress, Somatization, and Quality of Life Among Ivorian Refugees

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.

Psychological impact of child trafficking on trafficked children and their families in Togo

“…The traumatic journey is constantly relived, even after the return, in the form of repetitive and pervasive memories provoking a feeling of distress and including images, thoughts or ideas in the form of recurring dreams of the traumatic experience, evoking the probable existence of post-traumatic stress, even months or years after the traffic. This hypothesis confirms the results of our previous work where even two years after the sociopolitical crisis in Ivory Coast, 86% of Ivorian refugees had symptoms of probable posttraumatic stress (Kounou et al, 2017). According to table 2, almost the majority of the children had gone to Nigeria.…”

The Perceptions of Trauma, Complaints, Somatization, and Coping Strategies among Syrian Refugees in Germany—A Qualitative Study of an At-Risk Population

“…The present evidence of somatization may be attributed to the traumatic events experienced by the participants. Kounou et al also found that somatization among refugees may be a consequence of their trauma experienced, suggesting that trauma-centered therapies target not only the usual clinical picture of PTSD or depression but also possible evidence of somatoform disorder [26]. In Arabic culture, especially among women, somatoform disorder is often presented as so-called heart excitement, since there are few other ways to express emotional distress [27] (p. 76).…”

Somatic distress among Syrian refugees in Istanbul, Turkey: A cross-sectional study

“…Nevertheless, measuring somatic symptoms and severity is important for the assessment, prevention and treatment of psychological trauma and common mental disorders following humanitarian crises [21] and has proven to be a valid construct across cultures [22]. When somatic distress has been examined in conflict-affected and displaced populations, it has been shown to limit daily functioning [23], reduce quality of life [24] and increase health service utilisation [25]. Thus, an improved understanding of this phenomenon in these populations is likely to be important for reducing individual suffering, increasing health service efficiency and closing the mental health treatment gap.…”