Screening for posttraumatic stress disorder among Somali ex-combatants: a validation study

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Global Health
• Mental Health Screening

Background:

• Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) significantly impacts Somali ex-combatants, hindering civilian reintegration.
• Existing PTSD screening tools often lack validity in post-conflict settings.
• Development of a culturally relevant screening tool is crucial for this population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a Somali-language screening tool for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
• To improve the identification of PTSD among Somali ex-combatants for targeted psycho-social support.

Main Methods:

• Adaptation of the Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale (PDS) for Somali linguistic and cultural contexts.
• Screening of 135 Somali ex-combatants by trained local interviewers.
• Validation using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) and Self-Report Questionnaire (SRQ-20) by clinical psychologists.

Main Results:

• The screening instrument demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = .86).
• High convergent validity with CIDI (sensitivity = .90, specificity = .90) and concurrent validity with SRQ-20 scores.
• Multi-criteria scoring improved diagnostic specificity compared to a single cut-off.

Conclusions:

• The developed Somali-language tool is a reliable and valid method for detecting PTSD in ex-combatants.
• Recommended for use in Somalia's Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration Programs.
• Aids in identifying ex-combatants with specific psycho-social needs for support.