The prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder and its clinical significance among Southeast Asian refugees

• DOI: 10.1176/ajp.147.7.913
• Publication Date: 2014-12-17T19:35:50Z
• Authors: Paul K. Leung; Riley C; Kinzie Jd; Moore Lj; James K. Boehnlein; Smith D
• Keywords: Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic; Oregon; Refugees; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Prevalence; Humans; Asia, Southeastern; 3. Good health

All 322 patients at a psychiatric clinic for Indochinese refugees were surveyed to determine the presence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). If PTSD was not diagnosed at the time of initial evaluation, a structured reinterview was performed. Seventy percent of the patients (N = 226) met the criteria for a current diagnosis of PTSD, and an additional 5% (N = 15) met the criteria for a past diagnosis. The Mein had the highest rate of PTSD (93%) and the Vietnamese the lowest (54%). Of the patients with PTSD who were enrolled in the clinic before March 1988, 46% (N = 87) were given a diagnosis of PTSD only after the reinterview. PTSD is a common disorder among Indochinese refugees, but the diagnosis is often difficult to make.