Publication
Quality of life in elderly Portuguese war veterans with post-traumatic stress symptoms
| dc.contributor.author | Pereira, MG | |
| dc.contributor.author | Machado, JC | |
| dc.contributor.author | Pereira, M | |
| dc.contributor.author | Lopes, C | |
| dc.contributor.author | Pedras, S | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2019-03-21T14:55:56Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2019-03-21T14:55:56Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2019 | |
| dc.description.abstract | BACKGROUND: Studies show that post-traumatic stress symptoms among Portuguese veterans who participated in Colonial War (1961-75) are high, even though 43 years have gone by since the end of the war. AIMS: This study analyzed the role of family type, personality traits, and social support as predictors of post-traumatic stress symptoms and quality of life in war veterans, and whether satisfaction with social support was a mediator between neuroticism/post-traumatic stress symptoms and quality of life. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted including 230 war veterans with a mean age of 60 years (SD=3.82). RESULTS: Results indicated a high prevalence of post-traumatic stress symptoms as well as high neuroticism, 16.5 (SD=4.41); 81% of veterans presented high psychological distress, suggesting emotional disturbance and 71% belonged to extreme families (families with cohesion and adaptability problems). Results showed that age (β=-0.166, p<0.05), social support (β=-0.184, p<0.01), and neuroticism (β=0.325, p<0.001) predicted post-traumatic stress symptoms. Age, professional status, social support, post-traumatic stress symptoms, family type, neuroticism, and extroversion predicted different dimensions of quality of life. Finally, a path analysis showed that satisfaction with social support was a mediator in the relationship between neuroticism and quality of life (β=-0.066; p<0.01) and between post-traumatic stress symptoms and quality of life (β=-0.108; p<0.01). CONCLUSION: Four decades after the Colonial War have passed, there is still a high prevalence of post-traumatic stress symptoms. Screening elderly veterans who present post-traumatic stress symptoms, for the presence of neuroticism traits, and assessing family type and social support, should be a standard practice in health care services, especially in the oldest and those who are retired. Social support should be promoted in order to enhance quality of life in this population. | pt_PT |
| dc.description.version | info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion | pt_PT |
| dc.identifier.citation | Patient Relat Outcome Meas. 2019 Feb 27;10:49-58. | pt_PT |
| dc.identifier.doi | 10.2147/PROM.S163698 | pt_PT |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10400.23/1320 | |
| dc.language.iso | eng | pt_PT |
| dc.peerreviewed | yes | pt_PT |
| dc.subject | Qualidade de Vida | pt_PT |
| dc.subject | Idoso | pt_PT |
| dc.subject | Perturbações de Stress Pós-Traumáticos | pt_PT |
| dc.title | Quality of life in elderly Portuguese war veterans with post-traumatic stress symptoms | pt_PT |
| dc.type | journal article | |
| dspace.entity.type | Publication | |
| oaire.citation.endPage | 58 | pt_PT |
| oaire.citation.startPage | 49-58 | pt_PT |
| oaire.citation.volume | 10 | pt_PT |
| rcaap.rights | openAccess | pt_PT |
| rcaap.type | article | pt_PT |