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Probable Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Self-harming Behaviour: Potential Barriers to Employment?

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Abstract

The current study screened for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and self-harming behaviours, often related to borderline personality disorder (BPD), among individuals in a job centre considered unemployable primarily for psychological reasons. Participants (N = 112) filled in questionnaires on PTSD symptoms (n = 62) and self-harming behaviours (n = 59) as part of participating in team-meetings providing the individuals with a return-to-work plan. Differences in demographic variables between individuals with and without valid protocols were small to moderate. Of the individuals filling in the PTSD questionnaire 40% fulfilled criteria for probable PTSD and 31% of the individuals filling in the questionnaire on self-harming behaviours reported five or more types of self-harming behaviours. Only a minority of these individuals had PTSD or BPD respectively mentioned in their case records. Further investigation of the prevalence of PTSD and self-harming behaviour among individuals considered unemployable is warranted as well as an enhanced focus in jobcentres and other institutions supporting employability on detection and treatment of PTSD and early signs of BPD.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the participating individuals for taking the time and effort to answer the questionnaires. We thank Rune Andersen for providing the Danish version of the Self-Harming Inventory and Peter Elsner for corrections to the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Psychotherapeutic Outpatient Clinic, Mental Health Centre Glostrup, Brøndbyøstervej 160, 2605, Brøndby, Denmark

    J. S. Hansen

  2. Psychiatric Research Unit, The Psychiatry Region Zealand, Slagelse, Denmark

    E. Simonsen

  3. Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

    E. Simonsen

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  1. J. S. Hansen
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Correspondence to J. S. Hansen.

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Hansen, J.S., Simonsen, E. Probable Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Self-harming Behaviour: Potential Barriers to Employment?. Community Ment Health J 54, 823–830 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-017-0180-1

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