DEPRESSION AND POSTTRAUMATIC-STRESS-DISORDER AMONG A COMMUNITY SAMPLEOF ADOLESCENT AND YOUNG-ADULT AFGHAN REFUGEES

This study was designed to determine the prevalence of posttraumatic s tress disorder (PTSD) and other psychiatric disorders among a communit y sample of adolescent and young adult refugees from Afghanistan. The study also measured the correlation of their current psychiatric disor ders with the number of traumatic events experienced, parental accultu ration and distress, and other important demographic factors. Thirty-e ight refugees between 12 and 24 years of age were interviewed with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R. Five subjects met DSM-II I-R criteria for PTSD, 11 subjects met the criteria for major depressi on, and 13 had either PTSD or major depression or both. Significant po sitive correlations were found between the subjects' psychiatric diagn osis and the total number of traumatic events experienced and the pare ntal level of psychological distress (especially maternal distress). T here were negative correlations between children's symptomatology and a measure of maternal acculturation. These results suggest that a sign ificant proportion of adolescent and young adult Afghan refugees in th e community suffer from severe but undiagnosed psychiatric disorders.