Identifying distinctive psychological symptom profiles among a nationally representative sample of refugees resettled in Australia

Abstract

Objective: The number of refugees worldwide is unprecedented in recent history. Little is known, however, about profiles of psychological symptoms following persecution and displacement. Methods: This study reports on a latent class analysis that identified profiles of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and anxiety symptoms in a nationally representative sample of 1625 refugees in Australia. The association between specific symptom profiles, exposure to potentially traumatic events and post-migration stressors, and overall health and help-seeking was examined. Results: Latent class analysis yielded an optimal five-class solution. These classes comprised the Pervasive Symptom cl..