(PS4-A23) Psychological Phenotype of PTSD in a Marginalized Sample in the US

Trauma and resulting posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are public health and mental health emergencies. Populations living with social disadvantages (e.g., living with poverty, ethnic/racial minority) are at higher risk of developing lifetime PTSD following trauma exposure (Asnaani & Hal-Clark, 2017). For example, Black and Latino populations and individuals of lower socioeconomic status (SES) are more likely to develop PTSD. However, characteristics of PTSD and mental health burden in these populations have not been thoroughly investigated beyond subsample frequencies within a broader study. In their recent review, Madneck & Spokas (2022) raised concerns that raised concerns that only a minority of studies on PTSD emphasize individuals from marginalized communities, which comprises a population with limited resources and access to specialty mental health care. Thus, understanding the PTSD-related mental health burden in marginalized samples is warranted to best identify the needs of individuals with PTSD in these communities. Therefore, the aim of the current study is to investigate the prevalence rates of probable PTSD and the associated psychological phenotype among a low SES, predominantly ethnic minority sample of adults in the US.

Method: Participants (N = 891; 67.3% women) were clients aged 18-83 (M = 42.07, SD = 14.36) of a local food pantry system. Using validated self-report measures, we assessed traumatic event exposure and trauma symptoms, eating disorder (ED) pathology, depression, and anxiety, as well as demographics.

Results: The majority of participants (53.3%) reported an annual household income < $10,000 and 90% were food insecure; 18.9% reported living in a homeless shelter and 33.4% reported irregular access to a car. The majority (75.5%) were Latino/Hispanic; 20.4% reported Spanish as their primary language. Overall, 46.1% reported exposure to at least one criterion A traumatic event; 17.4% met the clinical cutoff for probable PTSD. Among participants with probable PTSD, comorbidity rates were high: 72.3% met the clinical cutoff for generalized anxiety disorder, 69% for depression, and 25.8% for ED. Bivariate correlations indicated that severity of PTSD symptoms was correlated with severity of depression (r = .542, p < .001), anxiety (r = .265, p < .001), and ED (r = .165, p = .026).

Discussion: Results indicate that marginalized individuals experience alarming rates of PTSD, and that those with probable PTSD experience significant mental health burden. Poverty, racial disparities, and trauma are all health emergencies that are interrelated and must be addressed. Yet, many may experience barriers to treatment, including transportation, language barriers, and treatment is often unaffordable. It is imperative research investigate affordable treatment and care to food insecure populations, as doing so may have a positive ripple effect in the health of this population.