Citation

Verschuur MJ, Maric M, Spinhoven P. J. Trauma. Stress 2010; 23(2): 300-303.

Affiliation

Leiden University, Department of Psychology, Leiden University Institute for Psychological Research, Clinical Psychology Unit, PO Box 9555, 2300 RB Leiden, The Netherlands. verschuu@fsw.leidenuniv.nl

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1002/jts.20519

PMID

20419742

Abstract

Disaster victims from ethnic minorities manifest more health complaints and concerns than others following a medical investigation. The authors aimed at analyzing ethnicity as a proxy for risk factors predictive of changes in health-related anxiety, and mediators that explain ethnic group differences after participating in a medical investigation. Western (n = 406) and non-Western participants (n = 379) were assessed at baseline and 12-week follow-up. Education, unemployment, years of residence, and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms were independent predictors of changes in health-related anxiety, excluding ethnicity. The predictive value of ethnicity was mediated mainly by changes in psychopathology, fatigue, and quality of life. Stronger responses to a trauma-related investigation by more vulnerable ethnic minority groups may explain their enhanced health-related anxiety.

Language: en