The prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder and its clinical significance among Southeast Asian refugees

All 322 patients at a psychiatric clinic for Indochinese refugees were surveyed to determine the presence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). If PTSD was not diagnosed at the time of initial evaluation, a structured reinterview was performed. Seventy percent of the patients (N = 226) met the cr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThe American journal of psychiatry Vol. 147; no. 7; p. 913
Main Authors Kinzie, J D, Boehnlein, J K, Leung, P K, Moore, L J, Riley, C, Smith, D
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.07.1990
Subjects
Asia, Southeastern - ethnology
Humans
Oregon - epidemiology
Prevalence
Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
Refugees - psychology
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - diagnosis
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - epidemiology
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - ethnology
Asia, Southeastern
Oregon
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Summary:All 322 patients at a psychiatric clinic for Indochinese refugees were surveyed to determine the presence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). If PTSD was not diagnosed at the time of initial evaluation, a structured reinterview was performed. Seventy percent of the patients (N = 226) met the criteria for a current diagnosis of PTSD, and an additional 5% (N = 15) met the criteria for a past diagnosis. The Mein had the highest rate of PTSD (93%) and the Vietnamese the lowest (54%). Of the patients with PTSD who were enrolled in the clinic before March 1988, 46% (N = 87) were given a diagnosis of PTSD only after the reinterview. PTSD is a common disorder among Indochinese refugees, but the diagnosis is often difficult to make.
ISSN:0002-953X
1535-7228
DOI:10.1176/ajp.147.7.913