The Association between Adult Mental Health Problems and Childhood Trauma: A Retrospective Community Based Study from Kashmir

Abstract

Background: The association between retrospectively reported childhood adverse experiences and psychiatric morbidity in adulthood is documented in several community surveys and clinical samples. But the long term outcome studies from South Asian countries are almost non-existent even though the frequency and the extent of childhood traumatic experiences in this part of the world are considerably high. Methods: It was a retrospective community-based study done in various areas of Kashmir Valley (Jammu and Kashmir, India) which were selected randomly. Those fitting criteria for the study were further evaluated using MINI International Neuropsychiatric Interview which is a well-validated short structured Diagnostic and Statistical Manual ? Text Revision (DSM IVTR) based diagnostic interview. Results: 18.2% (572 of 3137) of total sample population had suffered a traumatic event between age 5 to 17 years (M>F). A considerable number (42.6%) of the traumatized cases had a DSM IV diagnosis in the long-term follow-up (F>M), out of whom 47.4% had a significant morbidity at >5 yrs and 38.7% at >10 yrs (p<0.007). Post- traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) & Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) formed the majority of diagnosis (24.4% & 15.3% respectively).Both PTSD and MDD were seen 10 years after trauma and beyond. Conclusion: Post trauma morbidity is significantly chronic and long-lasting. MDD and PTSD form the majority of the morbidities present. Both MDD and PTSD may develop very late after the traumatic event. People with trauma may need long-term psychiatric screening, care and help.