Health status and treatment-seeking stigma in older adults with trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder

作者：Kaiser Anica Pless^*; Seligowski Antonia; Spiro Avron III; Chopra Mohit

来源：Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development, 2016, 53(3): 391-402.

DOI：10.1682/jrrd.2015.03.0039

• aging
• comorbidity
• health-related quality of life
• linear mixed modeling
• mental health
• physical health
• post traumatic
• stress disorder
• stigma
• trauma
• treatment-seeking

This study compared health status across four trauma/posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) groups of older adults with depression, anxiety, and/or at -risk drinking who attended primary care appointments (N = 1,199; mean age = 73.5 yr), mostly at Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals. The trauma and PTSD categories were PTSD (n = 81), partial PTSD (n = 127), trauma only (n = 323), and no trauma (n = 668). Physical and mental health-related quality of life (HQL), indices of social and economic impairment and stigma regarding treatment -seeking were compared among groups. Group differences were found for several indicators of functional impairment; the PTSD group had fewer close friends and higher treatment -seeking stigma beliefs related to having a disorder. Linear mixed modeling examined associations between trauma/PTSD group and HQL. After accounting for covariates, the trauma/PTSD groups differed across the Medical Outcome Study Short Form -36 scales and component scores (indicated by significant group by scale interaction). Differences among groups were confined to mental health measures; those with PTSD had worse HQL. Post hoc analyses examined the number of comorbid psychiatric diagnoses by trauma/PTSD. group. Overall, findings indicate that mental HQL varies among older adults with trauma and PTSD and that although treatment related stigma does not differ among groups, it does affect HQL.

• 出版日期2016