Misdiagnosis of African-Americans with Psychiatric Issues – Part II

doi:10.1016/S0027-9684(15)30049-3

Journal of the National Medical Association

Volume 107, Issue 3, Summer 2015, Pages 35-41

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0027-9684(15)30049-3 Get rights and content

Purpose

The second “Misdiagnosis of African-Americans with Psychiatric Issues” article focuses on traumatic life experiences that meet a proposed criteria for Developmental Trauma Disorder (DTD).l

Method

Psychiatric evaluations of 330 patients were reviewed and clinically identifiable variables of: a) childhood mental retardation (MR), special education, Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD), or Autism/Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD); b) head injury causing Organic Brain Syndrome (OBS) or Temporal Lobe Epilepsy (TLE); c) a history of chronic substance abuse prior to the development of psychiatric symptoms; or d) childhood trauma causing Anxiety, Depression, and Panic Disorders were tabulated.

Results

In Part I,2-Reference Part I we learn that the above four variables did not influence two-thirds of the African-American patient’s psychiatric diagnoses; however, excluding patients with multiple diagnoses, 26.7% of the patient’s diagnoses were shaped by these variables. Of these, 20% (18 of 88 patients), or 5.5% of the total 330 patients, had diagnoses that were strongly influenced by childhood traumatic experiences. Accordingly, we present two case histories that explicate the psychopathology seen in African-Americans traumatized as children.

Conclusions

This study helps to stress and confirm the importance of how understanding childhood traumatic experiences shape adult African-American psychopathology and the potential for misdiagnosis – an important factor for prevention and appropriate treatment of African-American patients with psychiatric issues.

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ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONMisdiagnosis of African-Americans with Psychiatric Issues – Part II

Purpose

Method

Results

Conclusions

Am J Preventive Med

Psychiatr Clin N Am

J Natl Med Assn.

Child Youth Serv Rev

J Adoles Health.

Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America

Developmental Trauma Disorder

Psych Annals

Preventive strategies for dealing with violence among Blacks

Community Ment Health J

Co-victimization of African-American children who witness violence: Effects on cognitive, emotional, and behavioral development

J Natl Med Assn

Violence Exposure, Psychological Distress and High Risk Behaviors Among Inner-City High School Students”

Need for Victimization Screening in a Black Psychiatric Population”

J Natl Med Assn

The Need for Victimization Screening in a Poor, Outpatient Medical Population”

J Natl Med Assn.

Circumstances of sexual and physical victimization of black psychiatric outpatients”

J Natl Med Assn.

Stress-Related Disorders in African-American Children

J Natl Med Assn

ORIGINAL COMMUNICATION
Misdiagnosis of African-Americans with Psychiatric Issues – Part II