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Posttraumatic stress disorder and service utilization among urban mental health center clients
Author(s) -
Switzer Galen E.,
Dew Mary Amanda,
Thompson Kenneth,
Goycoolea Jean M.,
Derricott Tonya,
Mullins Stephen D.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
journal of traumatic stress
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.259
H-Index - 134
eISSN - 1573-6598
pISSN - 0894-9867
DOI - 10.1023/a:1024738114428
Subject(s) - mental health , psychiatry , mental health service , posttraumatic stress , psychology , clinical psychology , public health , service (business) , medicine , nursing , economy , economics
Although the urban poor are at high risk for exposure to trauma, community mental health clinics rarely diagnose clients with PTSD. Failure to diagnose PTSD may undermine the effectiveness of services provided. Our objectives were to (1) assess prevalence of traumatic experiences and PTSD, and (2) examine differences in service utilization between those who had PTSD and those who did not. Interview data were gathered from 181 urban psychiatric outpatients. A substantial number of clients had experienced at least one lifetime trauma (94%), and of those, 42% had PTSD during the past year. Analyses comparing service use between PTSD and nonPTSD clients supported our expectation that clients with PTSD would use more mental health services, and would be less satisfied with services than their nonPTSD counterparts.