Presentation Title
Gender Differences in Trauma Symptoms Among Refugees and Trauma Survivors residing in VT .
Abstract
Vermont is currently home to over 8,000 resettled refugees. The Connecting Cultures program at the Vermont Psychological Services (VPS) clinic has collected information through a data repository associated with mental health treatment for refuges, asylum seekers, and survivors of torture. Although PTSD is the most common diagnosis given to refugees, the category of somatization is not included in the DSM 5 diagnostic classification system. Understanding the role of somatization is critical for providing the most effective treatment for refugees, asylum seekers, and survivors of torture. Participants included 197 of clients seeking services through Connecting Cultures at VPS. For this current study, depressive symptoms were measured using the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL). The Harvard Trauma Questionnaire (HTQ) and the Hopkins were both used to assess somatization symptoms. Results of a linear regression showed that gender did not predict depressive symptoms, however, results also showed that gender significantly predicted somatization symptoms, with women reporting greater somatic complaints than men. These results suggest that a cross cultural understanding of PTSD needs to be included in any assessment and for refugees, and the possible need for a somatization category within PTSD.
Primary Faculty Mentor Name
Karen Fondacaro
Secondary Mentor Name
Keith Burt, Nicole Breslend
Graduate Student Mentors
Holly Weldon, Brandon Gray
Faculty/Staff Collaborators
Karen Fondacaro (Primary Project Mentor)
Status
Graduate
Student College
College of Arts and Sciences
Program/Major
Psychological Science
Primary Research Category
Social Sciences
Gender Differences in Trauma Symptoms Among Refugees and Trauma Survivors residing in VT .
Vermont is currently home to over 8,000 resettled refugees. The Connecting Cultures program at the Vermont Psychological Services (VPS) clinic has collected information through a data repository associated with mental health treatment for refuges, asylum seekers, and survivors of torture. Although PTSD is the most common diagnosis given to refugees, the category of somatization is not included in the DSM 5 diagnostic classification system. Understanding the role of somatization is critical for providing the most effective treatment for refugees, asylum seekers, and survivors of torture. Participants included 197 of clients seeking services through Connecting Cultures at VPS. For this current study, depressive symptoms were measured using the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL). The Harvard Trauma Questionnaire (HTQ) and the Hopkins were both used to assess somatization symptoms. Results of a linear regression showed that gender did not predict depressive symptoms, however, results also showed that gender significantly predicted somatization symptoms, with women reporting greater somatic complaints than men. These results suggest that a cross cultural understanding of PTSD needs to be included in any assessment and for refugees, and the possible need for a somatization category within PTSD.