Abstract
We examined the association between lifetime traumatic events with or without trauma response symptoms and depressive symptomatology in American Indians aged ≥ 55 years from a tribe in the Southeastern US (N = 362). Twenty-three percent of the sample experienced a traumatic event without trauma-response symptoms, whereas 14% experienced a traumatic event with at least one trauma-response symptom. After adjustment for sociodemographic characteristics and social support, participants who experienced a traumatic event with one or more trauma-response symptoms had higher odds of clinically relevant depressive symptomatology compared to (1) those who never experienced a traumatic event [odds ratio (OR) 3.2, p < 0.05], (2) and those who experienced a traumatic event without further symptoms (OR 3.7, p < 0.05). Our results suggest that mental health providers who serve older American Indians should consider the experience of traumatic events followed with response symptoms as a potential risk factor for further disruptions in psychological functioning.
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Acknowledgements
This research was sponsored by the National Institute on Aging (AG022336). The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not represent the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service.
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Çayır, E., Burke, M.P., Spencer, M. et al. Lifetime Trauma and Depressive Symptomatology Among Older American Indians: The Native Elder Care Study. Community Ment Health J 54, 740–747 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-017-0179-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-017-0179-7