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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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The impact of forced displacement in World War II on mental health disorders and health-related quality of life in late life
— a German population-based study | | Author(s) | Simone Freitag, Elmar Braehler, Silke Schmidt, Heide Glaesmer |
| Journal title | International Psychogeriatrics, vol 25, no 2, February 2013 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press, February 2013 |
| Pages | pp 310-319 |
| Source | journals.cambridge.org/ipg |
| Keywords | War ; Refugees ; Mental disorder ; Stress ; Neuroses ; Health [elderly] ; Quality of life ; Germany. |
| Annotation | This study aimed to investigate the long-term effects of World War II experiences on the psychological and physical health of older adults. Previous research has shown that forced displacement as a traumatic event is associated with increased psychological burden even after several decades. The study investigated the contribution of forced displacement as a predictor for mental health disorders and added the aspect of health-related quality of life (QoL). A sample of 1,659 German older adults aged 60-85 years was drawn from a representative survey. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), somatoform symptoms, depressive syndromes, and health-related QoL were assessed as outcome variables. Chi-square and t-test statistics examined differences between displaced and non-displaced people. Logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the impact of forced displacement on mental health disorders and QoL. Displaced people reported higher levels of PTSD, depressive and somatoform symptoms and lower levels of health-related QoL. Displacement significantly predicted PTSD and somatoform symptoms in later life, but not depressive disorders. Health-related QoL was predicted by forced displacement and socio-demographic variables. The study concludes that forced displacement is associated with an elevated risk for PTSD and somatoform symptoms and lowered health-related QoL in older adults. Its unique impact declines after including socio-demographic variables. Long-term consequences of forced displacement need further investigations and should include positive aspects in terms of resilience and protective coping strategies. (JL). |
| Accession Number | CPA-130118215 A |
| Classmark | VMC: TIA: E: QNH: EN: CC: F:59: 767 |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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