Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Irregular Migrants Back to Ziguinchor (Senegal): Prevalence and Associated Factors

High burden of subthreshold DSM-5 post-traumatic stress disorder in U.S. military veterans.

Little is known about the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in emerging adults living with HIV in low-income countries. Determine prevalence of trauma exposure, prevalence of probable PTSD and conditional prevalence of probable PTSD for different traumatic events; and better understand the experiences of individuals with HIV and PTSD. This mixed method study used secondary data from a cross-sectional survey of people (N = 222) aged 18 to 29 living with HIV in Zimbabwe and primary qualitative data collection. The PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) and the Life Events Checklist for DSM-5 (LEC-5) were used to measure PTSD and exposure to traumatic events, both translated to Shona. In-depth interviews (n = 8) with participants who met the criteria for probable PTSD were analysed using thematic analysis. In all, 68.3% [95% CI (61.4-74.1)] of participants reported exposure to at least one traumatic event. The observed prevalence of probable PTSD was 8.6% [95% CI (5.2-13.0)], most observed following exposure to fire or explosion 29.0% [95% CI (13.0-45.0)] and sexual assault 27.8% [95% CI (7.2-48.7)]. Probable PTSD was also more prevalent following multiple exposure to trauma; four and six events, N = 4 (21%) [95% CI (5.1-8.8)] each, two and three events N = 3 (15.7%) [95% CI (5.9-9.2)] each, and five events N = 1 (5.4%) [95% CI (7.5-9.6)]. Qualitative results indicated that HIV stigma exacerbated psychological distress from trauma. Despite trauma exposure being common, prevalence of probable PTSD was not high, but was higher in those with multiple exposures. Participants described coping strategies, including social support and religious thinking.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a multifaceted psychiatric disorder arising from exposure to traumatic events, characterized by intrusion symptoms, avoidance behaviors, heightened arousal, and negative cognitive and mood alterations. Military personnel are particularly vulnerable to PTSD because of frequent exposure to life-threatening situations during deployments. In France, studies have reported PTSD prevalence rates of 1.7% and 4.8% among military personnel. Early detection and intervention through regular psychological assessments are essential, as chronic PTSD offers limited therapeutic options. The PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) is widely used for screening, with demonstrated validity in various settings, including the military. However, its application among non-native French speakers in the French Foreign Legion requires validation as a result of potential comprehension issues. This study assessed the psychometric properties of the French version of the PCL-5 in a cohort of French Foreign Legion soldiers deployed in Mali during Operation Barkhane in early 2022. The PCL-5 was administered approximately 1 month postdeployment. Two commonly accepted PCL-5 cutoff scores, 31 and 33, and 4 subscores were used based on recommendations. French proficiency levels were categorized into 5 levels based on validated oral and written examinations. Descriptive statistics, Spearman's correlation coefficients, analysis of variance, and the Kruskal-Wallis test were utilized to analyze the data. The final sample comprised 250 legionnaires. The mean PCL-5 score was 21.24 (SD=5.23). Six individuals scored above the cutoff; however, after clinical examination, only one was diagnosed with PTSD (prevalence rate of 0.40%), while the others had anxiety or interpersonal issues. The PCL-5 demonstrated excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha=0.96). Subscale internal consistency ranged from 0.60 to 0.93. No significant correlation was found between PCL-5 scores and French proficiency levels. This study confirms the reliability of the PCL-5 as a PTSD screening tool within the French Foreign Legion, demonstrating strong internal consistency and applicability across diverse linguistic backgrounds. The high sensitivity of the PCL-5 resulted in false positives, underscoring the necessity of follow-up clinical evaluations to confirm PTSD diagnoses and provide appropriate care. The lack of significant correlations between PCL-5 scores and French proficiency suggests the tool effectively screens individuals regardless of language proficiency. Future research should aim to enhance item comprehension among non-native speakers and explore additional screening instruments to complement the PCL-5 in this unique linguistic population. 20230928_C2EDFRI_4.

ObjectiveTo assess the trajectory of symptoms and symptom-defined post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from 1.5 to 12 months after hospitalization for COVID-19 and determine risk factors for persistent symptoms and PTSD.MethodsThis was a prospective cohort study of consecutive patients discharged after hospitalization for COVID-19 before 1 June 2020 in six hospitals in Southern Norway. Symptom-defined PTSD was assessed by the post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) at 1.5, 3 and/or 12 months after hospitalization, using DSM-5 criteria. Changes in PCL-5 symptom score and the prevalence of PTSD were analyzed with multivariable mixed models.ResultsIn total, 388 patients were discharged alive, and 251 (65%) participated. Respondents had a mean (SD) age of 58.4 (14.2) years, and 142 (57%) were males. The prevalence of symptom-defined PTSD was 14, 8, and 9% at 1.5, 3, and 12 months, respectively. WHO disease severity for COVID-19 was not associated with PCL-5 scores. Female sex, lower age and non-Norwegian origin were associated with higher PCL-5 scores. The odds ratio (OR) (95%CI) for PTSD was 0.32 (0.12 to 0.83, p = 0.019) at 3 months and 0.38 (0.15 to 0.95, p = 0.039) at 12 months compared to 1.5 months. There was no association between PTSD and WHO severity rating.ConclusionsThe level of PTSD symptoms decreased from 1.5 to 3 months after hospitalization, but did not decrease further to 12 months, and there was no association between PTSD symptoms and COVID-19 disease severity.

Background: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disease characterized by exposure to threatened death or serious injury and directly experiencing or witnessing the event. Many healthcare professionals have had PTSD, but emergency physicians may be particularly susceptible. To our knowledge, no study has been performed in Saudi Arabia to identify the prevalence and associated risk factors of PTSD among emergency staff.Objective: This study aims to determine the prevalence and risk factors of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among emergency healthcare workers (HCWs) in Saudi Arabia.Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study will be conducted in emergency departments around Saudi Arabia in all regions. The study population will include healthcare workers in emergency departments who work and presently live in Saudi Arabia. The survey was divided into two sections. The first section focuses on the emergency personnel's demographic data; the second concentrates on screening for post-traumatic stress disorder using the PTSD checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5).Results: Our population included 519 emergency healthcare staff, including males (51.4%) and females (48.6%). Most emergency HCWs worked in the Ministry of Health Hospitals (58%). The highest diagnosed psychological disorders among emergency staff were anxiety (19.3%) and mood disorders (10.2%). The prevalence of PTSD among emergency workers in Saudi Arabia was 14.1%. The prevalence of PTSD was significantly higher among emergency HCWs who had chronic diseases, emergency workers with anxiety or mood disorders, emergency staff who were using psychiatric medication (p<0.001), and those with psychotic disorders (p=0.002).Conclusion: The prevalence of PTSD among emergency healthcare workers in Saudi Arabia is estimated to be 14.1%, and pre-existing mental illnesses are associated with a higher risk of PTSD.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates that 284,200 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in 2021. According to the Texas Cancer Registry (TCR) an estimated 18,277 of those new diagnoses of female breast cancer will be made in the state of Texas. Studies have found that between 5% and 35% of breast cancer patients in the United States will develop diagnosable posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or significantly impairing PTSD symptoms. The goal of the study was to gather data related to the presence of PTSD symptoms in a sample of West Texas female breast cancer patients. The proposed study aimed to:. (1)Determine the prevalence of PTSD in a sample of female, West Texas breast cancer patients(2)Identify elements of a breast cancer diagnosis and breast cancer treatment that may contribute to, or exacerbate these PTSD symptoms. Our sample consistent of 78 female breast cancer patients collected from a university medical center-affiliated cancer center in the West Texas region. The PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL5) was used to determine if a participant met diagnostic criteria for PTSD or fulfilled diagnostic criteria for any of the four symptom clusters – intrusive symptoms, avoidance symptoms, negative symptoms, and hyperarousal symptoms. PCL5 scores were then compared to a range of demographic variables including age, marital status, educational level, menopausal status, tobacco and alcohol use, time since diagnosis, as well as treatment modalities used. Further, PCL5 scores were compared to Her2, ER, and PR status of the tumor as well as clinical stage. Patients meeting criteria for PTSD and those with significant symptoms in distinct symptom clusters The only multi-group categorical variable that showed a significant relationship was lifetime tobacco use (F(2,75) = 4.97, p = 0.009) which showed a relationship such that current smokers were found to have higher PCL5 scores that either participants that were past smokers or those that had never smoked. Further, menopausal status (pre-menopausal versus post-menopausal) did was found to be related to PCL5 scores such that pre-menopausal women were found to have significantly higher PCL5 scores than post-menopausal women (t(71) = 2.558, p = 0.42). Living arrangement (alone or with others) was similarly, significantly related to PCL5 scores such that women living with others were found to have higher PCL5 scores than those living alone (t(74) = -1.904, p = .002). Receiving chemotherapy treatment or not was similarly related to PCL5 scores such that those that underwent chemotherapy treatment were found to have higher PCL5 scores (t(76), = -2.381, p = .008). HER2 positive status was also found to be related to PCL5 scores, such that HER2 positive patients were found to have higher PCL5 scores than HER2 negative patients (t(74) = -2.429, p = .001). While other samples identified larger percentages of diagnosable PTSD, our sample did find a percentage of patients with diagnosable PTSD consistent with the lower end of estimated rates. This. suggests that our sample is similar in some ways to that used in the existing body of literature. Future research could expand the scope of this study by including focusing on the significant variables identified in the current study, as well as by including more factors that may be particularly relevant to the patient population of the West Texas region, such as measures of religiosity, individualism, or self-reliance. nPercentage of total sampleNo significant symptoms4962.82%Significant symptoms in one symptom cluster1316.66%Significant symptoms in two symptom clusters67.69%Significant symptoms in three symptoms clusters33.85%Significant symptoms in all four symptom clusters (met criteria for PTSD diagnosis)78.97%Total78100% Citation Format: Evan Thomas Guidry, Nusrat Jahan, Catherine Jones. An investigation into the presence of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms in breast cancer patients [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2021 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2021 Dec 7-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P4-09-06.

Comparing probable subthreshold and full PTSD prevalence in older versus younger veterans.

Introduction: The coronavirus disease 2019 known as (COVID-19) pandemic hasa great public concern with major psychological distress, especially on the medicalstaff. Aim of work: The present study aimed at improving the medical staff’s mentalhealth and productivity through assessing the prevalence, risk factors, and relationship of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and insomnia among Egyptian medical staff.Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out on 390 Egyptianmedical staff including physicians and nurses using web-based survey between 29thJune and 22nd July 2020. The questionnaire included personal and professionalquestions, PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), and Insomnia Severity Index.Results: The study results displayed that the prevalence of PTSD and insomnia were55.9% and 78.7%; respectively with a significant positive correlation between PTSDand insomnia scores (r=0.614, p value =0.000). Significant predictors of PTSS weregender (female) (OR: 1.971; 95% CI, 1.231–3.155; p < 0.05) and age (OR: 0.958;95% CI, 0.922–0.995; p < 0.05), worrying about getting infected (OR: 2.355; 95% CI,1.082–5.126; p < 0.05), and having insomnia (OR: 5.639; 95% CI, 3.146–10.108; p <0.05). Significant predictors of insomnia were educational level (vocational school)(OR: 8.954; 95% CI, 2.020–39.692; p < 0.05), and having PTSD (OR: 5.602; 95% CI,3.135–10.013; p < 0.05). Conclusion: High prevalence rates of PTSD and insomniawith significant positive correlation were found among Egyptian medical staff duringCOVID-19 pandemic affected by significant predictors. So, urgent psychological andorganizational interventions should be carried out to decrease this phenomenon.

Background: The PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) is the most widely used questionnaire to screen for symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the literature and clinical contexts. Objectives: This study aimed to: (1) perform a cross-cultural adaptation of PCL-5 to the Indonesian sociolinguistic context; (2) assess the psychometric validity and reliability of the adapted version; (3) examine the prevalence of PTSD in the sample using the diagnostic guidelines from DSM-5 and a cut-off score derived from empirical analysis; (4) evaluate PTSD factor structures using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA); and (5) investigate the convergent and discriminant validity of the adapted scale. Method: The study focused on a sample of Indonesian women, including women who had experienced sexual assault, other types of trauma, or no traumatic exposure. Results: The adapted Indonesian version of the PCL-5 showed strong internal consistency across all subscales. Convergent and discriminant validity were supported by moderate correlations with anxiety measures and lower correlations with quality-of-life indicators. The prevalence of PTSD based on diagnostic criteria from DSM-5 in the population was 77.6%. A cut-off score of 39 points in total showed a prevalence of PTSD of 70.1%. CFA supported the seven-factor hybrid model. Conclusion: The findings support the use of the Indonesian PCL-5 as a culturally valid and psychometrically sound instrument for assessing PTSD symptoms in Indonesian women.

Recent national estimates suggest that 1 in 2 women will experience intimate partner violence (IPV) in their lifetime. Given the high prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among women experiencing IPV, it is necessary to consider whether PTSD assessments function adequately for this population. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the past-month version of the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), one of the most widely used self-report measures of PTSD symptoms, in a sample of community women experiencing IPV. Participants were 158 women who had experienced IPV in the past 6 months (Mage = 40.14 years, 39.9% White). The PCL-5 demonstrated good internal consistency, Cronbach's α =.97, and scores were significantly positively correlated with theoretically related constructs (i.e., PTSD symptom count on the SCID-5, IPV severity, substance use, depression, anxiety, and emotion dysregulation); however, it demonstrated poor 30-day stability, r =.38, ICC =.55. The ability of the PCL-5 to discriminate with respect to a PTSD diagnosis was acceptable, AUC =.74. A cutoff score of 21 maximized sensitivity (82.5%) and specificity (55.4%); this is lower than typical cutoffs (i.e., 31-33). Although the PCL-5 has generally demonstrated adequate psychometric properties, findings suggest that it does not function optimally for women experiencing IPV relative to its functioning for other trauma-exposed populations. The lower-than-typical cutoff suggests that the PCL-5 may underestimate PTSD prevalence among women experiencing IPV.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Depression in Survivors of Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura

Background: The 2020 Fort McMurray (FMM) and area flood caused more than $228 million in insured damage, affected over 1200 structures, and more than 13,000 people were evacuated. Objective: This study sought to determine the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)-like symptoms and the risk predictors among the population of FMM one year after the 2020 flooding. Methods: An online quantitative cross-sectional survey was distributed to residents of FMM via REDCap between 24 April to 2 June 2021 to collect sociodemographic, clinical, and flood-related information. The PTSD checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-C) was used to assess likely PTSD among respondents. Results: 186 of 249 respondents completed all essential self-assessment questionnaires in the analysis, yielding a response rate of 74.7%. The prevalence of likely PTSD was 39.6% (65). Respondents with a history of depression were more likely to develop PTSD symptoms (OR = 5.71; 95% CI: 1.68–19.36). Similarly, responders with limited and no family support after the disaster were more prone to report PTSD symptoms ((OR = 2.87; 95% CI: 1.02–8.05) and (OR = 2.87; 95% CI: 1.06–7.74), respectively). Conclusions: Our research indicated that history of depression and the need for mental health counseling significantly increased the risk of developing PTSD symptoms following flooding; family support is protective. Further studies are needed to explore the relations between the need to receive counseling and presenting with likely PTSD symptoms.

Introduction Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the main psychological conditions that develops after a traumatic event such as a burn injury. Patients often experience flashbacks, nightmares, anxiety attacks, and endless thoughts about the traumatic burn injury, which deteriorate their quality of life. These patients are usually socially isolated, have low self-esteem, and are more likely to commit suicide.Burn patients, who are particularly vulnerable, often do not receive adequate post-burn care, and psychological disorders like PTSD are often overlooked in developing nations such as Pakistan. Hence, this study investigated the prevalence of PTSD among adult burn patients in tertiary care hospitals and examined its distribution across different age groups, genders, and socioeconomic classes to highlight its overall burden as well as differences among these groups. Materials and methods This cross-sectional study was conducted from January 2024 to July 2024, recruiting 275 adult burn patients from tertiary care hospitals in Peshawar, Pakistan, using non-probability convenience sampling. Non-cooperative, unwilling, unconscious,and severe burn injury patients were excluded from the study. Additionally, individualsunder the age of 18 years and those whose burn injuries occurred less than a month prior were omitted, as PTSD requires the traumatic event to have happened more than a month ago for diagnosis. All the burn patients were at different stages of recovery. A provisional diagnosis of PTSD was made by using the PTSD checklist for DSM-5, a 20-item checklist that assessed the symptoms of PTSD via a five-point Likert scale. The socioeconomic status was determined via a modified form of the Kuppuswamy Socioeconomic Status Scale. Results The diagnosis of PTSD was made in 52% (143 out of 275) of people who suffered burn injuries. The prevalence of PTSD in males and females was 40% (59 out of 148 males) and 66% (84 out of 127 females), respectively. Sixty-two percent of retirement-aged and 57% of middle-aged patients were mostly affected by PTSD. Similarly, PTSD was more prevalent in lower-class patients, i.e., 69% of patients with burn injuries from lower socioeconomic backgrounds were affected. Conclusion An alarmingly high prevalence of PTSD was found in burn patients. It was more prevalent in females than in males. A greater percentage of retirement-age and middle-aged adults were diagnosed with PTSD. When compared to patients from various socioeconomic backgrounds, burn patients from lower socioeconomic backgrounds were found to have a higher prevalence of PTSD.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Patients with Rheumatic Diseases During the COVID-19 Outbreak​

Objective: The US military veteran population is changing rapidly, and contemporary data on the prevalence of DSM-5 posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are lacking. The DSM-5 clarified PTSD Criterion A to delineate direct and indirect trauma exposures, but effects on the conditional probability of PTSD and functional impairment remain unknown. The objectives of this study were to provide contemporary estimates of PTSD prevalence and conditional probabilities in the US military veteran population, determine the likelihood of developing PTSD following direct versus indirect exposures to potentially traumatic events (PTEs), and examine the effects of direct and indirect PTEs and PTSD on functional impairment.Methods: Data were analyzed from the 2019-2020 National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study (NHRVS), an online survey of a nationally representative sample of US military veterans conducted from November 2019 to March 2020 (median completion date: November 21, 2019). Trauma exposures were assessed with the Life Events Checklist-5 and PTSD with the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5.Results: The weighted prevalence of lifetime PTSD was 9.4% (95% CI, 8.5%-10.3%) and of past-month PTSD was 5.0% (95% CI, 4.3%-5.7%). Direct PTEs were associated with increased odds of lifetime (odds ratio [OR] = 1.36; 95% CI, 1.30-1.42) and past-month PTSD (OR = 1.38; 95% CI, 1.31-1.46), but indirect PTEs were not (lifetime OR = 1.01; 95% CI, 1.00-1.03; past-month OR = 0.99; 95% CI, 0.97-1.00). Both PTSD (unstandardized B = 6.11, SE = 0.35) and direct PTEs (unstandardized B = 0.13, SE = 0.04), but not indirect PTEs, were significantly associated with functional impairment after adjustment for demographic and psychiatric variables.Conclusions: The prevalence of lifetime PTSD in US military veterans (9.4%) is slightly higher than 2016 estimates (6.9%-8.1%). Direct and indirect PTEs are prevalent in US military veterans, with only direct PTEs associated with higher conditional probability of past-month PTSD and greater functional impairment.