TY  - JOUR
PY  - 1998//
TI  - Impact of torture on refugees displaced within the developing world: symptomatology among Bhutanese refugees in Nepal
JO  - JAMA journal of the American Medical Association
A1  - Shrestha, N. M.
A1  - Sharma, B.
A1  - Van Ommeren, M.
A1  - Regmi, S.
A1  - Makaju, R.
A1  - Komproe, I.
A1  - Shrestha, G. B.
A1  - de Jong, J. T.
SP  - 443
EP  - 448
VL  - 280
IS  - 5
N2  - CONTEXT: Most of the world's refugees are displaced within the developing world. The impact of torture on such refugees is unknown. OBJECTIVE: To examine the impact of torture on Bhutanese refugees in Nepal. DESIGN: Case-control survey. Interviews were conducted by local physicians and included demographics, questions related to the torture experienced, a checklist of 40 medical complaints, and measures of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression. SETTING: Bhutanese refugee community in the United Nations refugee camps in the Terai in eastern Nepal. PARTICIPANTS: A random sample of 526 tortured refugees and a control group of 526 nontortured refugees matched for age and sex. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Revised Third Edition (DSM-III-R) criteria for PTSD and the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25 (HSCL-25) for depression and anxiety. RESULTS: The 2 groups were similar on most demographic variables. The tortured refugees, as a group, suffered more on 15 of 17 DSM-III-RPTSD symptoms (P<.005) and had higher HSCL-25 anxiety and depression scores (P<.001) than nontortured refugees. Logistic regression analysis showed that history of torture predicted PTSD symptoms (odds ratio [OR], 4.6; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.7-8.0), depression symptoms (OR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.4-2.6), and anxiety symptoms (OR, 1.5; 95% CI, 1.1-1.9). Torture survivors who were Buddhist were less likely to be depressed (OR, 0.5; 95% CI, 0.3-0.9) or anxious (OR, 0.7; 95% CI, 0.4-1.0). Those who were male were less likely to experience anxiety (OR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.44-1.00). Tortured refugees also presented more musculoskeletal system- and respiratory system-related complaints (P<.001 for both). CONCLUSION: Torture plays a significant role in the development of PTSD, depression, and anxiety symptoms among refugees from Bhutan living in the developing world.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0098-7484
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/
ID  - ref1
ER  -