Lifetime traumas and symptomatic sequelae in victims of violent crime in an urban community, South Africa

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Periodical article

Title:	Lifetime traumas and symptomatic sequelae in victims of violent crime in an urban community, South Africa
Author:	Peltzer, Karl
Year:	2000
Periodical:	Psychopathologie africaine
Volume:	30
Issue:	3
Pages:	341-354
Language:	English
Notes:	biblio. refs.
Geographic terms:	South Africa Southern Africa
Subjects:	assault and battery psychiatry Medicine, Nutrition, Public Health Post-traumatic stress disorder victims crime
Abstract:	The purpose of this study is to investigate lifetime traumas and symptomatic sequelae in victims of violent crime in formerly black areas of Pietersburg in the Northern Province of South Africa. The sample included 128 adult victims of violent crime chosen by snowball sampling, viz. 36 males and 92 females in the age range of 18 to 52 years. A clinical interview was conducted in order to collect sociodemographic data and data on trauma symptoms, and various measures of psychopathology were administered. Results indicated a rate of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) of 25,8 percent as indicated by the PTSS-10 measure, and 42,2 percent by the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R). More than one third of the sample had experienced - in addition to the violent crime trauma - another trauma, and almost two third had experienced two or more traumatic experiences. More women than men reported exposure to traumatic events. Bibliogr., sum. in English and French.