TY - JOUR
T1 - Social identification and post-traumatic stress symptoms in post-conflict Northern Ireland
AU - Muldoon, Orla T.
AU - Downes, Ciara
PY - 2007/8
Y1 - 2007/8
N2 - Background: Understanding of the psychological impact of politically motivated violence is poor. Aims: To examine the prevalence of post-traumatic symptoms subsequent to the 'troubles' in Northern Ireland. Method: A telephone survey of 3000 adults, representative of the population in Northern Ireland and the border counties of the Irish Republic, examined exposure to political violence, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and national identity. Results: Ten per cent of respondents had symptoms suggestive of clinical PTSD. These people were most likely to come from low-income groups, rate national identity as relatively unimportant and have higher overall experience of the 'troubles' than other respondents. Conclusions: Direct experience of violence and poverty increase the risk of PTSD, whereas strong national identification appears to reduce this risk.
AB - Background: Understanding of the psychological impact of politically motivated violence is poor. Aims: To examine the prevalence of post-traumatic symptoms subsequent to the 'troubles' in Northern Ireland. Method: A telephone survey of 3000 adults, representative of the population in Northern Ireland and the border counties of the Irish Republic, examined exposure to political violence, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and national identity. Results: Ten per cent of respondents had symptoms suggestive of clinical PTSD. These people were most likely to come from low-income groups, rate national identity as relatively unimportant and have higher overall experience of the 'troubles' than other respondents. Conclusions: Direct experience of violence and poverty increase the risk of PTSD, whereas strong national identification appears to reduce this risk.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=34547618098&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1192/bjp.bp.106.022038
DO - 10.1192/bjp.bp.106.022038
M3 - Article
C2 - 17666499
AN - SCOPUS:34547618098
SN - 0007-1250
VL - 191
SP - 146
EP - 149
JO - British Journal of Psychiatry
JF - British Journal of Psychiatry
IS - AUG.
ER -