This five-year study will consist of a community-based survey of persons who have immigrated to the Minneapolis-St. Paul area from countries with histories of government sanctioned torture: Bosnia, Cambodia, Ethiopia, and Somalia. Persons identified as victims of torture and selected controls will receive a more in-depth interview and clinical evaluation. Factors which will be evaluated in this study include circumstances of immigration; a history of torture while in the control of government officials (including police and military); psychological status (including symptoms of depression and post-traumatic stress); psychiatric diagnoses; neurologic damage and cognitive impairment; alcohol and drug use; source of health care; and other medical, emotional and social sequelae of torture. This study will allow us to determine the prevalence of a history of torture immigrants and refugees using population-based, rather than treatment-based, sampling. Major hypothesis of this study are that survivors of torture are more likely to experience symptoms of depression, anxiety (including post- traumatic stress), and cognitive impairment. Phase I of this study will include focus groups with each of the nationalities to learn more about specific cultural and social issues relevant to this assessment. Phase II will include community-based surveys of 1200 adult men and women (300 per nationality) to determine the prevalence of a history of torture. Phase III will include a case-control study of 480 subjects (120 per nationality) to determine if victims of torture are more likely to have certain deficiencies of psychological, neurologic, or social problems. Phase IV will include a more detailed psychiatric or psychologist to identify specific mental health diagnoses associated with torture. Specific goals of this study include: (1) Defining the prevalence and characteristics of a previous history of torture in a community-based sample of those from four diverse countries; (2) Identifying physical, social and mental health problems associated with a history of torture; (3) Defining mental health and other care needs among victims of torture; (4) Developing, implementing and evaluating a methodology for population- based assessment of torture and its sequelae in """"""""at-risk"""""""" populations from other countries.
| Westermeyer, Joseph; Hollifield, Michael; Spring, Marline et al. (2011) Comparison of two methods of inquiry for torture with East African refugees: single query versus checklist. Torture 21:155-72 |
| Westermeyer, Joseph J; Campbell, Robyn; Lien, Rebecca et al. (2010) HADStress: a somatic symptom screen for posttraumatic stress among Somali refugees. Psychiatr Serv 61:1132-7 |
| Robertson, Cheryl Lee; Halcon, Linda; Savik, Kay et al. (2006) Somali and Oromo refugee women: trauma and associated factors. J Adv Nurs 56:577-87 |
| Jaranson, James M; Butcher, James; Halcon, Linda et al. (2004) Somali and Oromo refugees: correlates of torture and trauma history. Am J Public Health 94:591-8 |
| Halcon, Linda L; Robertson, Cheryl L; Savik, Kay et al. (2004) Trauma and coping in Somali and Oromo refugee youth. J Adolesc Health 35:17-25 |
| Spring, Marline; Westermeyer, Joseph; Halcon, Linda et al. (2003) Sampling in difficult to access refugee and immigrant communities. J Nerv Ment Dis 191:813-9 |
