Cross-cultural symptom patterns in PTSD, depression and anxiety

Title 

Cross-cultural symptom patterns in PTSD, depression and anxiety

Name

Erik Vindbjerg

Abstract

Background: Studies shown symptom patterns in PTSD, depression and anxiety to vary between cultures, but existing studies lack the data quantity to enable a large scale cultural comparison. Also, there’s limited validation of the questionnaires, which are used to measure PTSD, depression and anxiety across these diverse manifestations. 

Aim: Using modern statistics, this study uncovers cultural differences and similarities in the manifestation of PTSD, depression and anxiety. Second, the study adapts the relevant questionnaires to provide more valid and accurate measurements across cultures.

Methods:
(a) Number of participants: 800 – 1000
(b) Population: PTSD-diagnosed refugees from Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon and the former Yugoslavia.
(c) Data: The data for the current project consists primarily of the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire, the Hopkins Symptoms Checklist for anxiety and depression (HSCL-25), and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. Responses are collected as part of existing trials at the Competencecenter for Transcultural Psychiatry, Ballerup. For the current project, only baseline ratings are utilised.
(d) Analysis: In contrast to most previous studies, the current study uses Item Response Theory to analyse psychometric properties and cultural differences at the item level.

Perspectives: The study is expected to yield new knowledge about cultural variations of symptom display in PTSD, depression and anxiety. Furthermore, we expect to be able to derive more culturally neutral versions of the HTQ and HSCL-25, by excluding or compensating items which function differently across cultures.

Keywords

PTSD, refugees

Start date and expected end date

01.4.2014 - 30.03.2017

Main supervisor

Professor Ask Elklit

Co-supervisors

Guido Makransky, Professor Erik Lykke Mortensen, Md. Jessica Lohmann

Collaborators

Competencecenter for Transcultural Psychiatry

Funding

Mental Health Center Ballerup, Axel Muusfelds Fond