Traumatic stress and psychological functioning in a South African adolescent community sample
Background: Traumatic stress may arise from various incidents often leading to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The lifetime prevalence of PTSD is estimated at 1% – 2% in Western Europe, 6% – 9% in North America and at just over 10% in countries exposed to long-term violence. In South Africa, t...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
AOSIS
2017-03-01
|
| Series: | South African Journal of Psychiatry |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://sajp.org.za/index.php/sajp/article/view/1008 |
| _version_ | 1818247640882610176 |
|---|---|
| author | Karl D. Swain Basil J. Pillay Wendy Kliewer |
| author_facet | Karl D. Swain Basil J. Pillay Wendy Kliewer |
| author_sort | Karl D. Swain |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Traumatic stress may arise from various incidents often leading to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The lifetime prevalence of PTSD is estimated at 1% – 2% in Western Europe, 6% – 9% in North America and at just over 10% in countries exposed to long-term violence. In South Africa, the lifetime prevalence for PTSD in the general population is estimated at 2.3%.
Aim: To examine the prevalence of posttraumatic stress symptomatology and related psychological functioning in a community sample of adolescents.
Setting: Low-socioeconomic communities in KwaZulu-Natal. Methods: Home interviews with adolescents and their maternal caregivers were used to collect the data using standardised instruments. Adolescents completed the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children; Children’s Depression Inventory; Children’s Somatization Inventory; and Revised Children’s Manifest Anxiety Scale. The Child Behaviour Checklist was completed by the caregivers. The sample comprised Grade 7 (n = 256) and Grade 10 (n = 68) learners. Sixty-five percent of the sample was female, and ages ranged from 9 to 18 (M = 13.11, s.d. = 1.54).
Results: Almost 6% of the sample endorsed PTSD and an additional 4% of the participants had clinically significant traumatic stress symptomatology. There was a significant, large, positive correlation between posttraumatic stress and anxiety, and medium positive correlations between posttraumatic stress and depression and somatic symptoms.
Conclusion: Posttraumatic stress symptomatology can be debilitating, often co-occurring with symptoms of depression, anxiety and somatic complications. This may lead to long-term academic, social and emotional consequences in this vulnerable group. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T15:07:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4ab1a8c347a34e2b94ab5f41637a850e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1608-9685 2078-6786 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T15:07:55Z |
| publishDate | 2017-03-01 |
| publisher | AOSIS |
| record_format | Article |
| series | South African Journal of Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-4ab1a8c347a34e2b94ab5f41637a850e2022-12-22T00:20:41ZengAOSISSouth African Journal of Psychiatry1608-96852078-67862017-03-0123010.4102/sajpsychiatry.v23i0.1008360Traumatic stress and psychological functioning in a South African adolescent community sampleKarl D. Swain0Basil J. Pillay1Wendy Kliewer2Department of Behavioural Medicine, University of KwaZulu-NatalDepartment of Behavioural Medicine, University of KwaZulu-NatalDepartment of Behavioural Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth UniversityBackground: Traumatic stress may arise from various incidents often leading to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The lifetime prevalence of PTSD is estimated at 1% – 2% in Western Europe, 6% – 9% in North America and at just over 10% in countries exposed to long-term violence. In South Africa, the lifetime prevalence for PTSD in the general population is estimated at 2.3%. Aim: To examine the prevalence of posttraumatic stress symptomatology and related psychological functioning in a community sample of adolescents. Setting: Low-socioeconomic communities in KwaZulu-Natal. Methods: Home interviews with adolescents and their maternal caregivers were used to collect the data using standardised instruments. Adolescents completed the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children; Children’s Depression Inventory; Children’s Somatization Inventory; and Revised Children’s Manifest Anxiety Scale. The Child Behaviour Checklist was completed by the caregivers. The sample comprised Grade 7 (n = 256) and Grade 10 (n = 68) learners. Sixty-five percent of the sample was female, and ages ranged from 9 to 18 (M = 13.11, s.d. = 1.54). Results: Almost 6% of the sample endorsed PTSD and an additional 4% of the participants had clinically significant traumatic stress symptomatology. There was a significant, large, positive correlation between posttraumatic stress and anxiety, and medium positive correlations between posttraumatic stress and depression and somatic symptoms. Conclusion: Posttraumatic stress symptomatology can be debilitating, often co-occurring with symptoms of depression, anxiety and somatic complications. This may lead to long-term academic, social and emotional consequences in this vulnerable group.https://sajp.org.za/index.php/sajp/article/view/1008adolescentsanxietydepressionPosttraumatic Stress Disorderposttraumatic stress symptomatologysomatic problems |
| spellingShingle | Karl D. Swain Basil J. Pillay Wendy Kliewer Traumatic stress and psychological functioning in a South African adolescent community sample South African Journal of Psychiatry adolescents anxiety depression Posttraumatic Stress Disorder posttraumatic stress symptomatology somatic problems |
| title | Traumatic stress and psychological functioning in a South African adolescent community sample |
| title_full | Traumatic stress and psychological functioning in a South African adolescent community sample |
| title_fullStr | Traumatic stress and psychological functioning in a South African adolescent community sample |
| title_full_unstemmed | Traumatic stress and psychological functioning in a South African adolescent community sample |
| title_short | Traumatic stress and psychological functioning in a South African adolescent community sample |
| title_sort | traumatic stress and psychological functioning in a south african adolescent community sample |
| topic | adolescents anxiety depression Posttraumatic Stress Disorder posttraumatic stress symptomatology somatic problems |
| url | https://sajp.org.za/index.php/sajp/article/view/1008 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT karldswain traumaticstressandpsychologicalfunctioninginasouthafricanadolescentcommunitysample AT basiljpillay traumaticstressandpsychologicalfunctioninginasouthafricanadolescentcommunitysample AT wendykliewer traumaticstressandpsychologicalfunctioninginasouthafricanadolescentcommunitysample |