Dückers, ML;
Alisic, E;
Brewin, CR;
(2016)
A vulnerability paradox in the cross-national prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder.
British Journal of Psychiatry
, 209
(4)
pp. 300-305.
10.1192/bjp.bp.115.176628.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND: Determinants of cross-national differences in the prevalence of mental illness are poorly understood. AIMS: To test whether national post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) rates can be explained by (a) rates of exposure to trauma and (b) countries' overall cultural and socioeconomic vulnerability to adversity. METHOD: We collected general population studies on lifetime PTSD and trauma exposure, measured using the WHO Composite International Diagnostic Interview (DSM-IV). PTSD prevalence was identified for 24 countries (86 687 respondents) and exposure for 16 countries (53 038 respondents). PTSD was predicted using exposure and vulnerability data. RESULTS: PTSD is related positively to exposure but negatively to country vulnerability. Together, exposure, vulnerability and their interaction explain approximately 75% of variance in the national prevalence of PTSD. CONCLUSIONS: Contrary to expectations based on individual risk factors, we identified a paradox whereby greater country vulnerability is associated with a decreased, rather than increased, risk of PTSD for its citizens.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | A vulnerability paradox in the cross-national prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder. |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1192/bjp.bp.115.176628 |
| Publisher version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1192/bjp.bp.115.176628 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 2016. This is an author-produced electronic version of an article accepted for publication in the British Journal of Psychiatry. The definitive publisher-authenticated version is available online at http://bjp.rcpsych.org. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > Div of Psychology and Lang Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > Div of Psychology and Lang Sciences > Clinical, Edu and Hlth Psychology |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1508274 |
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