Abstract
BACKGROUND: Symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) have often been found in studies on homeless people, due to high rates of traumatic experiences. Most research on homelessness has been conducted in North America and Western Europe. However there are many social and cultural factors which can impact the prevalence and number of PTSD symptoms. AIMS: This study sought to determine the prevalence and predictors of trauma and PTSD symptoms among homeless adults in an Eastern European nation (Poland). METHOD: Randomly chosen residents of shelters were interviewed (N = 200). The respondents were asked about symptoms of PTSD, alcohol abuse/dependence, depression symptoms and perceived social support. RESULTS: The data indicated that 30% of the homeless sample were victims of traumatic events, 22% showed at least one PTSD symptom, and 7% met criteria for a lifetime diagnosis of PTSD. Symptoms of PTSD were the most common among those who had symptoms of alcohol abuse/ dependence and depression. CONCLUSION: The study’s findings support the need to attend to mental disorders such as PTSD when addressing the array of needs of homeless people.
Highlights
A growing body of literature documents the high prevalence of traumatic experiences and other stressful events among homeless people [1]
The results indicated that the United States and the United Kingdom had the highest rates of total lifetime homelessness, with somewhat lower rates in Italy, Belgium, and Poland; and the lowest rate in Germany
Several significant differences were found between the group of 60 that had one or more traumatic events and the 140 that had none
Summary
A growing body of literature documents the high prevalence of traumatic experiences and other stressful events among homeless people [1]. Symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) have often been found in studies on homeless people, due to high rates of traumatic experiences. The Polish adaptation of The PTSD Interview [20], as developed by Koniarek, Dudek, and Szymaczak [21] was used This scale has been used in a variety of populations including medical trauma victims, auto accident trauma victims, fireman, policemen, and sexually and physically assaulted women [22]. In the review of PTSD scales Norris and Hamblen [23] characterized this scale as flexible in scoring, reliable, and valid This scale includes 2 questions about traumatic event(s) (Criterion A), 17 questions about PTSD Criterion symptoms (5 on Criterion B, 7 on Criterion C, and 5 on Criterion D), and 2 questions about the current/lifetime course of the PTSD symptoms (Criteria E and F).
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