Predictors of Recovery in Advocacy-Based Refugee Treatment Outcome: The Role of Prior Traumatic Experiences and Current Chronic Stressors

Author

Meredith A. BlackwellFollow

Publication Date

Fall 10-15-2020

Abstract

Refugees are at an increased vulnerability to mental health disorders compared to citizens of wealthier nations. The present study looks at the symptom trajectories of 290 refugees in a psychosocial community-based participatory intervention. A three-level generalized linear mixed model examined the predictive impact of exposure to trauma and chronic stress at baseline on posttraumatic stress and mood symptoms over time. Results showed that only higher chronic stress at baseline was associated with a steeper decrease in both PTSD and mood scores, but these effects differed by nationality. However, with chronic stress entered as a time-varying covariate instead only African participants demonstrated a positive treatment effect for both PTSD and mood and significant correlation with stress levels. Results suggest that interventions targeting chronic stress can be effective at reducing mood symptoms over time as a function of stress treatment, but distinct cultures may benefit disparately from different treatment targets.

Degree Name

Psychology

Level of Degree

Masters

Department Name

Psychology

First Committee Member (Chair)

Elizabeth Yeater, PhD

Second Committee Member

Jessica Goodkind, PhD

Third Committee Member

Katie Witkiewitz, PhD

Language

English

Keywords

Refugee, PTSD, Depression, Anxiety, Multicultural, Culturally-Valid

Document Type

Thesis

Recommended Citation

Blackwell, Meredith A.. "Predictors of Recovery in Advocacy-Based Refugee Treatment Outcome: The Role of Prior Traumatic Experiences and Current Chronic Stressors." (2020). https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/psy_etds/348