Posttraumatic stress disorders comorbid with major depression in West Bank, Palestine: a general population cross sectional study

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Abstract
Background and Objectives: The prevalence of Post Traumatic Stress Disorders (PTSD) comorbid with Major Depressive Episodes (MDE) were explored in four areas of West Bank of Palestine in the aftermath of the second intifada. Methods: The sample consisted of 916 adult Palestinians representative of the general population. The interview was personal with the use of DSM IV criteria for PTSD and MDE (the SCID I modules). Results: The prevalence of chronic PTSD comorbid with lifetime MDE and chronic PTSD alone were found 18.7% and 26.5% respectively. Another 6.1% were diagnosed as suffering from lifetime MDE. Higher numbers of refugees were found to suffer from PTSD comorbid with MDE. The majority of respondents who reported previous suicidal behavior were comorbid cases of PTSD/MDE. The predictors differentiating between MDE alone and no diagnosis and between comorbid PTSD/MDE and no diagnosis were almost identical. Conclusions: This sample of adult Palestinians living under conditions of mass violence and continuous economic deprivation were found suffering from high rates of post PTSD and comorbid PTSD with MDE, a common finding among populations under serious traumatic exposure.

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