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The assessment of trauma history in women with Co-occurring substance abuse and mental Disorders and a history of interpersonal Violence

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Abstract

The Women, Co-occurring Disorders, and Violence Study (WCDVS) was a large (N=2729) multisite study of the effectiveness of integrated and trauma-informed services for women with substance use and mental health disorders and a history of interpersonal violence (physical or sexual abuse). Study participants' exposure to lifetime and current traumatic events was assessed at baseline and follow-up via in-person interviews. This article describes the choice of the Life Stressor Checklist-Revised (LSC-R) to assess trauma history to meet the WCDVS's research aims and to respond to consumer input. Quantitative data address the breadth and prevalence of potentially traumatic events in the past and current lives of study participants, the formation and properties of summary measures, and test-retest reliability. Qualitative data address tolerance of the instrument by interviewers and respondents and the generalizability of quantitative findings about trauma prevalence. Finally, recommendations are offered for improvements to the WCDVS version of the LSC-R for use in future research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. NH-Dartmouth Psychiatric Research Center, 2 Whipple Place, Suite 202, 03766, Lebanon, NH

    Gregory J. McHugo PhD (Research Associate Professor)

  2. the Department of Psychiatry, Rambam Medical Center, Haifa, Israel

    Yael Caspi ScD (senior researcher)

  3. the Department of Anthropology at Brandeis University, Waltham, Mass.

    Nina Kammerer PhD (lecturer)

  4. Carollton, Ohio

    Ruta Mazelis BS (private consultant)

  5. Sidran Institute, Carrollton, Ohio.

    Ruta Mazelis BS (private consultant)

  6. the Sheps Health Services Research Center, UNC-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC.

    Elizabeth Jackson PhD (research associate)

  7. ETR Associates, Scotts Valley, Calif.

    Lisa Russell PhD (associate director of research)

  8. the University of South Florida/FMHI, Tampa, Fla.

    Colleen Clark PhD (research assistant professor)

  9. Boston Medical Center, Boston, Mass.

    Jane Liebschutz MD (assistant professor of medicine)

  10. the National Center for PTSD, Palo Alto VA Health Care System (352-117MPD), Menlo Park, Calif.

    Rachel Kimerling PhD (research clinical psychologist)

Authors
  1. Gregory J. McHugo PhD
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  2. Yael Caspi ScD
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  3. Nina Kammerer PhD
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  4. Ruta Mazelis BS
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  5. Elizabeth Jackson PhD
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  6. Lisa Russell PhD
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  7. Colleen Clark PhD
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  8. Jane Liebschutz MD
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  9. Rachel Kimerling PhD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gregory J. McHugo PhD.

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McHugo, G.J., Caspi, Y., Kammerer, N. et al. The assessment of trauma history in women with Co-occurring substance abuse and mental Disorders and a history of interpersonal Violence. The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research 32, 113–127 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02287261

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