Posttraumatic stress disorder and psychiatric co-morbidity among Syrian refugees: the role of trauma exposure, trauma centrality, self-efficacy and emotional suppression

Document Type

Article

Source of Publication

Journal of mental health (Abingdon, England)

Publication Date

4-23-2020

Abstract

Background: The devastation of the Syrian war can lead to a drastic re-evaluation of oneself and alteration in self-capacities. Yet, little is known regarding its impact on these domains among Syrian refugees.Aims: To investigate the inter-relationship between trauma characteristics, trauma centrality, self-efficacy, emotional suppression, PTSD and psychiatric co-morbidity among Syrian refugees.Methods: 1197 refugees from Turkey and Sweden completed the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire, General Health Questionnaire-28, Centrality of Event Scale, Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale and Courtauld Emotional Control Scale.Results: Using the DSM-IV criteria for PTSD from the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire, 43% met the criteria. The PTSD group reported significantly higher levels of trauma characteristics, trauma centrality and psychiatric co-morbidity but a lower level of self-efficacy than the non-PTSD group. Trauma characteristics were positively associated with trauma centrality; trauma centrality was negatively correlated with self-efficacy. Contrary to hypothesis, self-efficacy was positively correlated with emotional suppression which was positively correlated with psychiatric co-morbidity but not PTSD.Conclusions: The experience of war can lead to the emergence of PTSD among Syrian refugees. Exposure to war can alter self-perception, belief of personal mastery over one's future and the way emotion is expressed, all of which can have specific effects on general psychological symptoms.

ISSN

0963-8237

Publisher

Informa Healthcare

Last Page

9

Disciplines

Medicine and Health Sciences | Social and Behavioral Sciences

Keywords

PTSD, Trauma characteristics, centrality, emotional suppression, self-efficacy

Scopus ID

85123196659

Indexed in Scopus

yes

Open Access

no

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