Pathways from war trauma to posttraumatic stress symptoms among Tamil asylum seekers, refugees, and immigrants
Author(s):
Steel, Z.; Silove, D.; Bird, K.; Mcgorry, P.; Mohan, P.
Format:
Journal article
Citation:
Journal Of Traumatic Stress, Volume 12, Issue 3 (1999-07). pp. 421-435.
Language:
English
Abstract:
Path analysis was used to examine the antecedents of posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms in Tamil asylum-seekers, refugees, and immigrants in Australia. The Harvard Trauma Questionnaire and a postmigration living difficulties questionnaire were completed by 62 asylum-seekers, 30 refugees, and 104 immigrants who responded to a mail-out. Demographic characteristics, residency status, and measures of trauma and postmigration stress were fitted to a structural model in PTS symptoms. Premigration trauma exposure accounted for 20% of the variance of PTS symptoms. Postmigration stress contributed 14% of the variance. Although limited by sampling constraints and retrospective measurement, the study supports the notion that both traumatic and posttraumatic events contribute to the expression of PTS symptoms.