Citation

Tremblay J, Pedersen D, Errázuriz C. Int. J. Soc. Psychiatry 2009; 55(5): 449-463.

Affiliation

Department of Psychiatry and Douglas Institute Research Center, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/0020764009103214

PMID

19592432

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Sustained political violence (SPV) may have long-term effects. AIMS: To assess mental and residual effects of exposure to SPV. To validate a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) assessment tool in Quechua-speaking Peru. METHOD: Survey of 373 individuals aged 15 and over using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL-25) and a Trauma Questionnaire (TQ), derived from the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire. Sociodemographics were recorded. Reliability was assessed. Data reduction used factor analysis and modelling multiple regressions. RESULTS: A quarter of the sample had symptoms compatible with PTSD. Questionnaire reliability ranged from 0.81 to 0.89. Factor analysis confirmed high construct validity for TQ and HSCL-25. Modelling showed a strong association of PTSD-related symptoms and expressions of distress with the degree of exposure to SPV, especially among returnees. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term consequences of exposure to SPV take the form of PTSD, anxiety and depressive disorders, and culturally formulated expressions of distress. Some implications for clinicians are discussed.

Language: en