Auditory Hallucination Among Traumatized Cambodian Refugees: PTSD Association and Biocultural Shaping.
Culture, Medicine, and Psychiatry December 1, 2021 DOI: 10.1007/s11013-020-09701-6 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 90 |
| Population | Survivors of the Khmer Rouge genocide attending a psychiatric refugee clinic |
| Topics | PTSD |
| Keywords | Cambodian Culture Hallucination Psychosis Trauma |
| Key findings | Auditory hallucinations, especially ghost summoning voices, are strongly associated with PTSD in Cambodian genocide survivors, with an odds ratio of 14.8. |
Abstract
At a psychiatric refugee clinic for survivors of the Khmer Rouge genocide, a survey revealed that 42% (38/90) had auditory hallucinations (AHs) in the last month. Of those with AHs, 87% (33/38) had PTSD, whereas of those without AHs, 31% (16/52) had PTSD, giving a chi square of 27.8, p < .001, odds ratio 14.8 (4.8-45). Most AHs were of a "ghost summoning" (khmaoch hao), considered an exhortation to go with a ghost (e.g., hearing "Please come with me, younger sister"), experienced by 73% percent of patients with AHs. The voices were always exterior and usually loud and clear. AHs were heard most often during hypnagogia (i.e., upon falling asleep or awakening), experienced by 72% of patients with AHs, whereas 42% of patients with AHs experienced AHs when fully awake. AHs were almost always attributed to a ghost, giving rise to great fear: of having the "soul" called away or of being frightened to death. AH episodes almost always triggered trauma recall. AHs caused patients to undertake certain actions to address acute episodes and to prevent further ones. To illustrate these processes, cases are provided. AH appears to be a key part of the Cambodian bioculturally shaped trauma subjectivity.
Comparable studies
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| Coping motives mediate the relationship between PTSD and MDMA use in adolescents with substance use disorders German adolescent SUD patients aged 13–18 years at an outpatient clinic | 2022 | Cross-sectional study | n = 111 |
| Risk factors of sleep paralysis in a population of Polish students. Polish university students under 35 | 2022 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 2,553 |
| Expert opinions on implementation of MDMA-assisted therapy in Europe: critical appraisal towards training, clinical practice, and regulation. Researchers and clinicians involved in MDMA-AT clinical trials and contributors to the... | 2024 | Survey | n = 68 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 2
Cites 9
- Beyond Trauma: A Multiple Pathways Approach to Auditory Hallucinations in Clinical and Nonclinical Populations Schizophrenia Bulletin August 8, 2018
- Reliving, Replaying Lived Experiences Through Auditory Verbal Hallucinations: Implications on Theories and Management. Frontiers in Psychiatry 2018
- Diversity Within the Psychotic Continuum. Schizophrenia Bulletin November 21, 2016
- Hallucinations: A Systematic Review of Points of Similarity and Difference Across Diagnostic Classes. Schizophrenia Bulletin November 21, 2016
- What Is the Link Between Hallucinations, Dreams, and Hypnagogic-Hypnopompic Experiences? Schizophrenia Bulletin June 29, 2016
and 4 more in the library