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Single Mother’s Adverse and Traumatic Experiences and Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms

Abstract  

A random sample of 247 Canadian single mothers currently receiving social assistance participated in a study designed to:
a) provide a comprehensive description of mother’s lifetime exposure to 11 adversities, four psychological traumas, and eight
assaultive traumas; b) examine the association between exposure to childhood and adulthood adversities and traumas, and mother’s
current post-traumatic stress symptom. Of those surveyed, 31% met the criteria for a probable PTSD diagnosis. Between 78%
and 80% reported 1 or more lifetime adversity, psychological trauma, and assaultive trauma. Rates of adversities were similar
to the general female population. However, rates of psychological and assaultive trauma were six to ten times greater than
the general female population. Results show that level of exposure to psychological and assaultive traumas, but not adversity,
differentially impacted both the patterning and severity of mothers’ current PTSD symptoms. Psychological trauma exposure
was the only event type that differentiated the mean scores for the re-experiencing, avoidance/numbing, and hyper-arousal
symptom clusters. While exposure to assaultive trauma differentiates mean scores primarily for the avoidance/numbing symptoms
cluster. Implications for health promotion initiatives across health and social service sectors are discussed.

  • Content Type Journal Article
  • DOI 10.1007/s10896-010-9337-1
  • Authors
    • Joan A. Samuels-Dennis, Faculty of Health, School of Nursing, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada
    • Marilyn Ford-Gilboe, Faculty of Health Science, School of Nursing, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario Canada
    • Susan Ray, Faculty of Health Science, School of Nursing, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario Canada
    • Journal Journal of Family Violence
    • Online ISSN 1573-2851
    • Print ISSN 0885-7482
Posted in: Journal Article Abstracts on 10/24/2010 | Link to this post on IFP |
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