| Property | Value |
|---|
|
?:abstract
|
-
OBJECTIVE: Individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who experience additional traumas or stressful life events may undergo symptomatic worsening, but no data exist on whether exposure to the COVID-19 pandemic in a high infection area worsens mental health among older adults with chronic PTSD. METHODS: Seventy-six older adults (Nâ¯=â¯46 with PTSD and Nâ¯=â¯30 trauma-exposed comparison subjects [TE]) for whom prepandemic data were available were interviewed between April 1 and May 8, 2020 to quantify depressive (Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression [HRSD]) and PTSD symptom (Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist [PCL-5]) levels. Group differences in baseline characteristics as well as pre-post pandemic symptom levels were examined, and participant characteristics were assessed as moderators of symptom change. RESULTS: Compared to TEs, individuals with PTSD more often reported living alone and experiencing a physical illness (χ2â¯=â¯5.1, dfâ¯=â¯1, pâ¯=â¯0.02). PCL-5 scores among individuals with PTSD decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic by 7.1 points (t(69)â¯=â¯-3.5, pâ¯=â¯0.0008), whereas the TE group did not change significantly. Overall no significant differences in HRSD were found between groups, but a race or ethnicity variable was found to moderate HRSD symptom change. Non-black or Hispanic individuals with PTSD experienced significantly increased HRSD scores during the pandemic compared to black or Hispanic PTSD participants. CONCLUSION: The findings are indicative of complexity in the responses of older individuals with PTSD to further stressful life events as well as possibly unique aspects to the COVID-19 pandemic as a stressor. Sources of resilience may exist based on experience with prior traumas as well as increasing age promoting more adaptive coping styles.
|
|
is
?:annotates
of
|
|
|
?:creator
|
|
|
?:journal
|
-
Am._j._geriatr._psychiatry
|
|
?:license
|
|
|
?:publication_isRelatedTo_Disease
|
|
|
is
?:relation_isRelatedTo_publication
of
|
|
|
?:source
|
|
|
?:title
|
-
The COVID-19 Pandemic as a Traumatic Stressor: Mental Health Responses of Older Adults With Chronic PTSD
|
|
?:type
|
|
|
?:who_covidence_id
|
|
|
?:year
|
|
![[This page as RDF]](https://research.tib.eu/covid-19/static/rdf-icon.gif){kind=icon}