The relationship between somatization and posttraumatic symptoms among immigrants receiving primary care services

✍ Scribed by Massimiliano Aragona; Elena Catino; Daniela Pucci; Sara Carrer; Francesco Colosimo; Montserrat Lafuente; Marco Mazzetti; Bianca Maisano; Salvatore Geraci

• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 2010
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 99 KB
• Volume: 23
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0894-9867
• DOI: 10.1002/jts.20571

✦ Synopsis

Traumatic experiences and somatization are related in studies on complex trauma, though this relation is rarely studied in immigrants. The relationship between somatization and self-reported traumatic experiences and posttraumatic symptoms in patients attending a primary care service for immigrants was studied. The sample consisted of 101 patients attending a primary healthcare service dedicated to immigrants. Participants completed two self-assessment questionnaires specifically designed for use in transcultural research: the Bradford Somatic Inventory and the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire. Both were translated and back-translated into eight languages. Somatization was significantly related to traumatic events and posttraumatic symptoms. In primary care centers for immigrants, physicians should give particular attention to somatization as a possible sign of unreported posttraumatic symptoms.