Avoidance Symptoms and Assessment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Arab Immigrant Women

    Authors

    A. E. Norris;K. J. Aroian

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    J. Trauma Stress

    Keywords

    PTSD; REFUGEES; TRAUMA; ADULTS; Psychology, Clinical; Psychiatry

    Abstract

    This study investigates whether the avoidance symptom criterion required for a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disordes, Fourth Edition (DSMp-IV; American Psychiatric Association, 1994) diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is overly conservative. Arab immigrant women (N = 453), many of whom reported experiencing multiple traumatic events, compledted the posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale in Arabic as part of a face to face interview. Analyses indicated all but one avoidance symptom was reported less frequently than reexperienceing and arousal symptoms. However, those who fully met reexperiencing, avoidance, and arousal symptom criteria had worse symptom severity and functioning than those who fully met reexperiencing and arousal sympton criteria, but only partialy met avoidance symptom criterion. Study findings support importance of the PTSD avoidance symptom criterion.

    Journal Title

    Journal of Traumatic Stress

    Volume

    21

    Issue/Number

    5

    Publication Date

    1-1-2008

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    471

    Last Page

    478

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000260904800007

    ISSN

    0894-9867

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