Psychological interventions for post-traumatic stress disorder in people living with HIV in Resource poor settings: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: Post-traumatic stress disorder is pervasive in low- and middle-income countries. There is evidence to suggest that post-traumatic stress disorder is more common among people living with HIV than non-infected matched controls. We carried out a systematic review of interventions for adult post-traumatic stress disorder from resource poor settings with a focus on people living with HIV. METHODS: We included all studies that investigated interventions for adult post-traumatic stress disorder from resource poor settings with a focus on interventions that were either randomised controlled trials or observational cohort studies carried out from 1980 to May 2015. RESULTS: Of the 25 articles that were identified for full review, two independent reviewers identified seven studies that met our study inclusion criteria. All randomised controlled trials (RCT) (n = 6) used cognitive behavioural therapy-based interventions and focused on people living with HIV in resource poor settings. There was only one study focusing on the use of lay counsellors to address post-traumatic stress disorder but core competencies were not described. There were no intervention studies from Africa, only an observational cohort study from Rwanda. CONCLUSION: Rigorously evaluated interventions for adult post-traumatic stress disorder in people living with HIV are rare. Most were undertaken in resource poor settings located in high-income countries. There is a need for research on the development and implementation of appropriate interventions for post-traumatic stress disorder in people living with HIV in low- and middle-income countries.

Trauma exposure and psychometric properties of the life events checklist among adults in South Africa.

Background: Trauma exposure is widespread and linked to chronic physical and mental health conditions including posttraumatic stress disorder. However, there are major gaps in our knowledge of trauma exposure in Africa and on the validity of instruments to assess potentially life-threatening trauma exposure.Objective: The Life Events Checklist for the DSM-5 (LEC-5) is a free, widely used questionnaire to assess traumatic events that can be associated with psychopathology. As part of a case-control study on risk factors for psychosis spectrum disorders, we used the LEC-5 to examine the frequency of traumatic events and to assess the questionnaire's factor structure in South Africa (N = 6,765).Method: The prevalence of traumatic events was measured by individual items on the LEC-5 across the study sample, by case-control status, and by sex. Cumulative trauma burden was calculated by grouping items into 0, 1, 2, 3, and ≥4 traumatic event types. Psychometric properties of the LEC-5 were assessed through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses.Results: More than 92% of the study sample reported experiencing ≥1 traumatic event; 38.7% reported experiencing ≥4 traumatic event types. The most endorsed item was physical assault (65.0%), followed by assault with a weapon (50.2%). Almost 94% of cases reported ≥1 traumatic event compared to 90.5% of controls (p < .001) and 94% of male participants reported ≥1 traumatic event compared to 89.5% of female participants (p < .001). Exploratory factor analysis revealed a 6-factor model. Confirmatory factor analyses of three models found that a 7-factor model based on the South African Stress and Health survey was the best fit (standardized root mean square residual of 0.024, root mean square error of approximation of 0.029, comparative fit index of 0.910).Conclusion: Participants reported very high exposure to traumatic events. The LEC-5 has good psychometric priorities and is adequate for capturing trauma exposure in South Africa.

Trauma exposure was extremely prevalent in this South African sample, with less than 8% of participants reporting zero exposure to traumatic events.This was the first time the factor structure of the LEC-5 was assessed in South Africa.A confirmatory factor analysis using a 7-factor model based on a previous study of trauma exposure, the South African Stress and Health study (SASH), was the best fit for the LEC-5.

Estrés postraumático en escolares a 8 meses del 27F / Post-traumatic stress disorder in children eight months after february 27, 2010

Introduction: there are several epidemiological studies regarding the incidence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in children exposed to natural disasters. Objective: to describe the prevalence of PTSD in a school-age population in a coastal town from the Maule Region, 8 months after the earthquake/tsunami in february 2010, and to compare differences among PTSD groups of symptom (re-experiencing, avoidance and activation) according to demographic variables such as age, grade, gender and family type. Methodology: the Child PTSD Symptom Scale (CPSS), validated in Chile in 2009, was used in 89 children between 3rd and 6th grade, corresponding to 94.7 percent of the children enrolled in the local school in such classes. Data are analyzed by gender, age, grade and type of family. 89 surveys were applied, 59.6 percent were male and 40.4 percent female aged 8-13. Results: 40.4 percent of children had symptoms consistent with PTSD, with higher incidence in women and younger children; the most significant association among women was age. Both groups (women and young children) presented the highest scores on all group of symptoms. There were no differences by type of family. Conclusions: the incidence of PTSD measured by CPSS scale in the study population was 40.4 percent, considered to be among the highest percentages reported in the international literature.

Introducción: existen diversos datos epidemiológicos respecto a la incidencia de Trastorno por Estrés Pos-traumático (TEPT) en niños expuestos a desastres naturales. Objetivo: describir la prevalencia de TEPT en una población infantil escolarizada de una localidad costera de la Región del Maule después de 8 meses de ocurrido el terremoto/maremoto de febrero/2010, y comparar las diferencias entre grupos de síntomas del TEPT (reexperimentación, evitación y activación) según variables demográficas, como edad, curso, sexo y tipo de familia. Metodología: se aplicó la escala Child PTSD Symptom Scale (CPSS) validada en Chile el año 2009, a 89 niños de 3° a 6° básico lo que corresponde al 94,7 por ciento de los niños matriculados en la escuela de la localidad en dichos cursos. Se analizan los datos según sexo, edad, curso y tipo de familia. Se aplicaron 89 encuestas, 59,6 por ciento eran varones y 40,4 por ciento mujeres de 8 a 13 años de edad. Resultados: el 40,4 por ciento del total de niños tuvo una evaluación compatible con TEPT, con mayor incidencia en mujeres y niños de menor edad, siendo la edad un factor de asociación significativa en las mujeres. Ambos grupos (mujeres y niños más pequeños) presentaron mayores puntajes en todos los grupos sintomáticos. No se encontraron diferencias según el tipo de familia. Conclusiones: la incidencia de TEPT medida a través de la escala CPSS en la población estudiada fue de 40.4 por ciento, encontrándose entre las más altas reportadas en la bibliografía internacional.