Exploring the Potential Distinction Between Continuous Traumatic Stress and Posttraumatic Stress in an East African Refugee Sample
Date
2017Author
Herbert E., Ainamani
Tobias, Hecker
Katharin, Hermenau
Eva, Haefele
Thomas, Elbert
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Posttraumatic stress (PTS) indicates a continuous stress response that persists though threats to life had been experienced
in the past. However, threats to life are frequently ongoing. For these contexts, the concept of continuous traumatic
stress (CTS) has been put forward. Based on structured clinical interviews with Congolese refugees (N = 226), this
study investigated the CTS concept and whether it can be distinguished from PTS. We found that current exposure to
violence correlated positively with concerns about its recurrence in the CTS group (r = .46). An ANCOVA indicated
that higher intrusion symptom severity in the PTS group (no symptom reduction under safe conditions) was explained
by higher lifetime trauma exposure (η2
= .125). In contexts of continuous trauma exposure, symptom-like responses
may be regarded as appropriate responses to realistic danger. In these contexts, the possibility that symptom changes
are a response to real threats should be considered to avoid overestimation of PTSD prevalences