Trauma exposure and post-traumatic stress symptoms in urban African schools

Seedat, Soraya; Nyamai, C.; Njenga, Frank; Vythilingum, Bavanisha; Stein, Dan J.

doi:10.1192/bjp.184.2.169

Cited by 196 publications

(172 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…Exposure to more trauma during adolescence as reported on the Trauma Symptom Checklist was related to greater probability of PTSD diagnosis (Seedat et al, 2004). Greater exposure to traumatic events and heightened feelings of danger also lead to more PTSD symptoms according the to Global Symptom Severity measure .…”

Section: Repeated Traumamentioning

confidence: 85%

Factors Related to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Adolescence

Nooner

Linares²,

Batinjane

et al. 2012

Trauma, Violence, & Abuse

146

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Studies of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adolescence published from 2000 to 2011 indicate that adolescents are at greater risk of experiencing trauma than either adults or children, and that the prevalence of PTSD among adolescents is 3-57%. Age, gender, type of trauma, and repeated trauma are discussed as factors related to the increased rates of adolescent PTSD. PTSD in adolescence is also associated with suicide, substance abuse, poor social support, academic problems, and poor physical health. PTSD may disrupt biological maturational processes and contribute to the long-term emotion and behavior regulation problems that are often evident in adolescents with the disorder. Recommendations are presented for practice and research regarding the promotion of targeted prevention and intervention services to maximize adolescents' strengths and minimize vulnerabilities. Public policy implications are discussed.Keywords adolescent, trauma, posttraumatic stress, abuse, development, risk factors, suicidality, substance use Key Points of the Research Review Trauma in AdolescenceFour of five adolescents meet DSM criteria for exposure to a serious traumatic event. Of these, 3-57% meet diagnostic criteria for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Child maltreatment is a common type of trauma for those under 18. There were over 2 million reported cases in the United States in 2008, which likely represents a fraction of the actual incidents of abuse and neglect. PTSD in AdolescenceThe average rate of adolescent PTSD was nearly 14% among studies conducted in the last decade. Rates of PTSD in adolescence are related to type of trauma. Trauma that is associated with more shame and deviance is associated with higher rates of PTSD (e.g., for sexual abuse 57% have PTSD vs. 10% for natural disasters). Risk Factors for PSTDRates of traumatic exposure peak in adolescence compared to adulthood, which is associated with correspondingly higher rates of PTSD (adult PTSD 7% vs. adolescent PTSD 13%). Adolescent females are twice as likely to develop PTSD following a significant trauma than males. Repeated trauma, regardless of type, heightens the probability of PTSD symptoms and diagnosis. Adolescents with less social support are more likely to experience trauma and develop PTSD.Serious physical health problems increase risk of PTSD in adolescence. Correlates of PTSDAdolescents with PTSD are significantly more likely to have failed a grade or to have been suspended than those without PTSD. Over 80% of individuals with PTSD have a comorbid substance-use disorder, typically beginning in adolescence. Approximately 6% of adolescents with PTSD have made a suicide attempt versus less than 2% for adolescents with no history of trauma or PTSD. Brain imaging studies relate PTSD and trauma to differences in emotion regulation, dopamine, and norepinephrine activation.

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Section: Repeated Traumamentioning

confidence: 85%

Factors Related to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Adolescence

Nooner

Linares²,

Batinjane

et al. 2012

Trauma, Violence, & Abuse

146

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“…For example, residents of socially and economically deprived neighborhoods may be exposed more frequently to such traumatic event experiences as rape and interpersonal violence and such stressors as unemployment (37), both consistently linked to poorer mental health, including anxiety and mood disorders (38,39). Concomitantly, living in poorer neighborhoods may be associated with limited access to sources of material protections and social supports salutary for mental health (37).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Urban Neighborhood Poverty and the Incidence of Depression in a Population-Based Cohort Study

Galea

Ahern

Nandi

et al. 2007

Annals of Epidemiology

263

179

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Purpose-It has long been suggested that certain characteristics of the urban environment may influence population mental health. However, evidence from multilevel research addressing the relation between intraurban environments and depression has been conflicting, and prospective evidence in this regard has been limited. We assessed the relation between urban neighborhood poverty and incident depression in a population-based prospective cohort study.Methods-Using random-digit-dial telephone surveys, we recruited 1570 adult residents of New York City (NYC) in 2002. All persons interviewed at baseline were contacted again for follow-up 6 and 18 months after the initial interview. Eighty-one percent of the sample completed at least one follow-up visit. Analysis was restricted to 1120 persons who could be geocoded to NYC neighborhoods, which were represented by NYC community districts (N = 59).Results-Among persons with no history of major depression at baseline (N = 820) there were 113 incident cases of major depression during the 18 months of follow-up; cumulative incidence of depression during the study period was 14.6 per hundred persons (95% confidence interval, 10.9-18.3). In low-socioeconomic status (SES) neighborhoods, the cumulative incidence of depression was 19.4 per hundred persons (95% confidence interval, 13.5-25.3), which was greater than that in high-SES neighborhoods (10.5; 95% confidence interval, 5.9-15.2). In multivariable models adjusting for individual covariates (sociodemographics, individual SES, social support, stressors, traumas, and history of post-traumatic stress disorder), the relative odds of incident depression was 2.19 (95% confidence interval, 1.04-4.59) for participants living in low-SES compared with high-SES neighborhoods.Conclusions-SES of neighborhood of residence is associated with incidence of depression independent of individual SES and other individual covariates. Additional work needs to characterize the pathways that may explain the observed association between living in low-SES neighborhoods and risk for depression.

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“…Seedat, Nyamai, Njenga, Vythilingum, & Stein, 2004). The text-based checklist was accompanied by cartoons derived from the Levonn/Andile PTSD scale (Richters, Martinez, & Valla, 1990), which was found accessible for Xhosa-speaking adolescents in Cape Town (Ensink, Robertson,…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Poverty and psychological health among AIDS-orphaned children in Cape Town, South Africa

2009

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International audienceThis study examined associations between AIDS-orphanhood status, poverty indicators, and psychological problems (depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, peer problems, delinquency, conduct problems) among children and adolescents in townships surrounding Cape Town, South Africa. One thousand and twenty-five children and adolescents completed standardized and culturally sensitive cross-sectional surveys. Children orphaned by AIDS had more psychological problems including depression, peer problems, post-traumatic stress, and conduct problems. Specific poverty indicators including food security, access to social welfare grants, employment in the household and access to school were associated with better psychological health. Poverty indicators mediated associations of AIDS-orphanhood with psychological problems. Food security showed the most consistent association with reduced psychological problems. Poverty alleviation measures have the potential to improve psychological health for AIDS-orphaned children in South African townships

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Trauma exposure and post-traumatic stress symptoms in urban African schools

Cited by 196 publications

References 29 publications

Factors Related to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Adolescence

Factors Related to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Adolescence

Urban Neighborhood Poverty and the Incidence of Depression in a Population-Based Cohort Study

Poverty and psychological health among AIDS-orphaned children in Cape Town, South Africa

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