Transcultural differences of psychologically traumatised children and adolescents

Abstract

Summary Background The symptoms following a traumatic event as well as the coping strategies can be culture specific. The objective of the present study was to analyse the transcultural differences of psychologically traumatized children and adolescents with and without migration background. Methods The medical files of 199 psychologically traumatized children and adolescents (99 native Austrian, 100 Turkish-speaking) who were treated at the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in Vienna were retrospectively analysed. Results The most frequently observed causes of trauma in patients with Turkish migration background were intra-familial conflicts, forced separation from parent(s), and conforming to a new environment. In native Austrian patients, forced separation from parent(s) and divorce or separation of parents were the leading causes of trauma. Trauma-related symptoms like changed mood, cognitive and perceptual disturbance, social withdrawal, sleeping problems, somatisation and behavioural problems were similarly observed in both groups; “sleeping problems” were more often observed in Austrian patients, and “behavioural problems” were more often observed in Turkish patients. More Austrian patients (32.7%) obtained psychiatric and psychotherapeutic treatment. Turkish-speaking patients mostly obtained psychiatric treatment only. Patients with migration background were more compliant compared to indigenous patients. Conclusions Both study groups differed in type, causes and symptoms of trauma, and in preferred therapy. Turkish-speaking patients were more compliant with therapy, as they received culture and language-sensitive medical advice and treatment in their mother tongue. Considering the cultural background of patients can optimize service delivery and therapy outcomes among children and adolescents with stressful and traumatic experiences.

Systematic review on somatization in a transcultural context among teenagers and young adults: Focus on the nosography blur

“…In the Middle East, Iranian youth tend to have more severe psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) than youth of 4 other nationalities (Brazil, USA, Canada, and Venezuela) ( 58 ). An Austrian study also found variable trauma-related symptom patterns depending on origin: Turkish-speaking adolescents and young adults have more behavioral problems associated with their trauma, while Austrians described sleep disturbances and weight loss more often ( 59 ). Similarly, specific conditions may be more frequent in some countries than others: in Japan, up to 71% of children and adolescents with a psychosomatic disorder are reported to have orthostatic intolerance, which is thus one of the most common psychosomatic disorders in that country ( 57 ).…”

“…An Austrian study looked at the medical records of young people with a history of trauma of various kinds (“trauma-related disorder”) and compared the data between patients of Turkish origin in Austria and native Austrians. The natives received psychiatric and psychotherapeutic treatment more often (32.7%), whereas Turkish-speaking patients mainly received only psychiatric treatment ( 59 ). The delay in diagnosing psychological distress has often been pointed out.…”

Bullying, Psychological, and Physical Trauma During Early Life Increase Risk of Major Depressive Disorder in Adulthood: A Nationwide Community Sample of Korean Adults

“…Different factors, such as resilience, cognitive function, and emotion regulation ability were shown to mediate the development of MDD from early life trauma (30)(31)(32). In addition, strategies for coping with trauma varied from culture to culture, and the symptoms after trauma also changed accordingly (17). In contrast to the familial cultures of the West, Korea had a traditional family-oriented society, which promotes interdependence and cooperation that suppresses the expression of personal feelings and inner mental symptoms (17).…”

“…In addition, strategies for coping with trauma varied from culture to culture, and the symptoms after trauma also changed accordingly ( 17 ). In contrast to the familial cultures of the West, Korea had a traditional family-oriented society, which promotes interdependence and cooperation that suppresses the expression of personal feelings and inner mental symptoms ( 17 ). Considering that emotional neglect mainly deals with trauma within the family, the participants who grew up in a family-oriented society in Korea may not be sensitive to emotional neglect.…”

“…Therefore, understanding which types of early life trauma have a significant impact on the pathology of depression will help devise strategies for early trauma prevention. In addition, since trauma is a subjective experience, reaction to traumatic experiences may vary depending on religious and cultural backgrounds ( 17 ). It is necessary to compare the relationship between depression and early life trauma in a nationwide community sample of Koreans with previous studies in other cultural countries.…”