Background:

Although bereavement is likely a common stressor among patients referred to a psychotrauma clinic, no study has yet examined the co-occurrence and relationships between symptoms of prolonged grief disorder (PGD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and major depressive disorder symptoms in this population.

Method:

 Inleiding

Onderzoek wijst uit dat ouderen vaak meerdere chronische aandoeningen tegelijkertijd hebben. Dit wordt multimorbiditeit genoemd. Multimorbiditeit kan bestaan uit verschillende lichamelijke aandoeningen, maar ook uit een combinatie van lichamelijke en psychiatrische aandoeningen. Het aantal ouderen met lichamelijke en psychiatrische multimorbiditeit is de laatste jaren toegenomen.

Background: Elevated prevalences of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depression (MD) have been reported in populations exposed to war. However, no global estimates of war survivors suffering from PTSD and/or MD in absolute numbers have been reported.

Objective: We made the first attempt to estimate in absolute numbers how many adult war survivors globally may suffer PTSD and/or MD, which should inform local and global mental health programmes.

Background: Previous studies have demonstrated that traumatic experiences from countries of origin (so-called pre-migratory factors), as well as stressors in countries of destination (so-called post-migratory factors), are related to the extent of mental health difficulties and psychological well-being of refugees. However, numerous risks that this population is exposed to during transit have so far been neglected.