Trauma, Stress, and Mental Health in South Africa

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant):This proposed project seeks three years of support to systematically examine the prevalence and mental health consequences of exposure to politically motivated trauma and violence in South Africa. It will consider the psychological sequelae of violent acts for both perpetrators and survivors. In addition, in one of the countries of the world hardest hit by the AIDS epidemic, this study will explore the psychological impact of the perceived threat of HIV/AIDS. This work has the following specific aims: 1) To learn about the prevalence and distribution of exposure to politically motivated trauma during apartheid; 2) To assess the relationship between exposure to trauma and mental health by carefully and cautiously studying the observed associations with appropriate use of targeted comparisons and statistical controls; 3) To assess the association between perceived vulnerability to HIV/AIDS and the risk of psychiatric disorders; 4) To study the effects of a series of hypothesized stress-diathesis variables in modifying the associations between stress exposure and mental health; 5) To estimate the current prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of commonly occurring mental disorders in South Africa and the role impairments associated with these disorders; 6) To investigate the impact of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) on the mental health of South Africans; and 7) To study predictors of informal and professional help-seeking among South Africans who currently have mental disorders. No nationally representative data exists on these issues in South Africa and the proposed study provides an unprecedented opportunity to enhance our understanding of the mental health consequences of exposure to racial-political violence in the country of origin only a short time after transition to majority rule.