TITLE:
Post-traumatic stress disorder among homeless adults in Poland: Prevalence and predictors
AUTHORS:
Anna Bokszczanin, Paul A. Toro, Karen L. Hobden, Carolyn J. Tompsett
KEYWORDS:
Homelessness; PTSD; Trauma; Depression; Alcohol Use; Social Support; Poland
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Psychiatry,
Vol.4 No.1,
January
3,
2014
ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Symptoms of
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) have often
been found in studies on homeless people, due to high rates of traumatic experiences.
Most research on homelessness has been conducted in North America and Western
Europe. However there are many social and cultural factors which can impact the
prevalence and number of PTSD symptoms. AIMS: This study sought to determine the
prevalence and predictors of trauma and PTSD symptoms among homeless adults in
an Eastern European nation (Poland). METHOD: Randomly chosen residents of
shelters were interviewed (N = 200).
The respondents were asked about symptoms of PTSD, alcohol abuse/dependence,
depression symptoms and perceived social support. RESULTS: The data indicated
that 30% of the homeless sample were victims of traumatic events, 22% showed at
least one PTSD symptom, and 7% met criteria for a lifetime diagnosis of PTSD. Symptoms of PTSD were the most common among those who had symptoms
of alcohol abuse/ dependence and depression. CONCLUSION: The study’s findings
support the need to attend to mental disorders such as PTSD when addressing the
array of needs of homeless people.