Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Comparative Study
. 2008 Apr;21(2):218-22.
doi: 10.1002/jts.20313.

Treatment barriers for low-income, urban African Americans with undiagnosed posttraumatic stress disorder

Regina G Davis  1 , Kerry J Ressler, Ann C Schwartz, Kisha James Stephens, Rebekah G Bradley
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Treatment barriers for low-income, urban African Americans with undiagnosed posttraumatic stress disorder

Regina G Davis et al. J Trauma Stress. 2008 Apr.

Abstract

African Americans in low-income, urban communities are at high risk for exposure to traumatic events as well as for symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Approximately 22% of 220 participants recruited from urban hospital medical clinics met survey criteria for PTSD. Among the common traumas were having relatives/friends murdered (47%), being attacked with weapons (64% of men), and being sexually attacked (36% of women). Although desiring mental health services, only 13.3% of those with PTSD had prior trauma-focused treatment. Barriers to treatment included limited transportation and finances, family disapproval, and unfamiliarity with accessing treatment, among others. These data highlight the need for an awareness of the high prevalence of trauma and PTSD in this population.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Alim TN, Charney DS, Mellman TA. An overview of posttraumatic stress disorder in African Americans. Journal of Clinical Psychology. 2006;62:801–813. - PubMed
    1. Alim TN, Graves E, Mellman TA, Aigbogun N, Gray E, Lawson W, et al. Trauma exposure, posttraumatic stress disorder and depression in an African-American primary care population. Journal of the National Medical Association. 2006;98:1630–1636. - PMC - PubMed
    1. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. 4. Washington, DC: Author; 1994.
    1. Atdjian S, Vega WA. Disparities in mental health treatment in U.S. racial and ethnic minority groups: Implications for psychiatrists. Psychiatric Services. 2005;56:1600–1602. - PubMed
    1. Cooper-Patrick L, Brown C, Palenchar D. Factors associated with help-seeking behavior for mental health services. AHSR and FHSR Annual Meeting Abstracts; 1995. p. 105.

Publication types

MeSH terms