Citation

Stephens KA, Sue S, Roy-Byrne PP, Unützer J, Wang J, Rivara FP, Jurkovich GJ, Zatzick DF. J. Trauma. Stress 2010; 23(3): 384-392.

Affiliation

Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA. kstephen@u.washington.edu

Copyright

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

DOI

10.1002/jts.20534

PMID

20564368

Abstract

Ethnoracial minority status contributes to an increased risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after trauma exposure, beyond other risk factors. A population-based sampling frame was used to examine the associations between ethnoracial groups and early PTSD symptoms while adjusting for relevant clinical and demographic characteristics. Acutely injured trauma center inpatients (N = 623) were screened with the PTSD Checklist. American Indian and African American patients reported the highest levels of posttraumatic stress and preinjury cumulative trauma burden. African American heritage was independently associated with an increased risk of higher acute PTSD symptom levels. Disparities in trauma history, PTSD symptoms, and event related factors emphasize the need for acute care services to incorporate culturally competent approaches for treating these diverse populations.

Language: en