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Unrecognized Trauma and PTSD among Public Mental Health Consumers with Chronic and Severe Mental Illness

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Abstract

Lifetime prevalence of traumatic events and current PTSD was assessed among 142 mental health consumers with serious mental illness served by a psychosocial rehabilitation day program. Lifetime exposure to trauma was high (87%). The rate of PTSD based on the PTSD Checklist (PCL) was also high (19–30% depending on different scoring criteria). Overall, the PCL had strong internal reliability for this sample. Documentation of trauma and PTSD was exceptionally low in medical records. Results suggest that trauma and PTSD are significantly overlooked in the public mental health system. Improved recognition of trauma and PTSD are needed in order to provide meaningful services to this highly vulnerable population.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 725 Martin Luther King, Chapel Hill, NC, CB 7590, 27599-7590, USA

    Karen J. Cusack Ph.D.

  2. Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA

    Anouk L. Grubaugh Ph.D., Rebecca G. Knapp Ph.D. & B. Christopher Frueh Ph.D.

  3. Medical University of South Carolina and the Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Charleston, SC, USA

    B. Christopher Frueh Ph.D.

Authors
  1. Karen J. Cusack Ph.D.
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  2. Anouk L. Grubaugh Ph.D.
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  3. Rebecca G. Knapp Ph.D.
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  4. B. Christopher Frueh Ph.D.
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Karen J. Cusack Ph.D..

Additional information

1Karen J. Cusack is affiliated with the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC

2Anouk L. Grubaugh and Rebecca G. Knapp are affiliated with the Medical University of South Carolina

2,3B. Christopher Frueh is affiliated with the Medical University of South Carolina and the Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Charleston, SC

Karen J. Cusack, Ph.D., Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB 7590, 725 Martin Luther King, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7590 Telephone: 919.966.6725, Fax: 919.966.1384, kcusack@schsr.unc.edu <mailto:kcusack@schsr.unc.edu>

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Cusack, K.J., Grubaugh, A.L., Knapp, R.G. et al. Unrecognized Trauma and PTSD among Public Mental Health Consumers with Chronic and Severe Mental Illness. Community Ment Health J 42, 487–500 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-006-9049-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-006-9049-4

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