Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35303808›Full record

ArticleBMC psychiatry2022

Local understandings of PTSD and complex PTSD among health professionals working with adolescents in violent neighbourhoods of São Paulo city, Brazil.

Alessandro Massazza, Juliana Feliciano de Almeida, Meaghen Quinlan-Davidson, Renata Teixeira da Silva, Delanjathan Devakumar, Maria Fernanda Tourinho Peres, Glyn Lewis, Ligia Kiss

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC psychiatry, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
0.4field-weighted citation impact, top 40% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 2 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Post-traumatic stress disorder: evolving conceptualization and evidence, and future research directions.World psychiatry : official journal of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA) · 2025
    Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Alessandro MassazzaDepartment of Health Services Research and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, 15-17 Tavistock Pl, London, WC1H 9SH, UK. alessandro.massazza@gmail.com.
Juliana Feliciano de AlmeidaDepartment of Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Meaghen Quinlan-DavidsonInstitute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK.
Renata Teixeira da SilvaSão Paulo Municipal Health Department- Medical Residency Program in Psychiatry, São Paulo, Brazil.
Delanjathan DevakumarInstitute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK.
Maria Fernanda Tourinho PeresDepartment of Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Glyn LewisDivision of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK.
Ligia KissInstitute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK.
University College London · GBUniversidade de São Paulo · BRHospital do Servidor Público Municipal · BRLondon School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine · GB

Funding

Medical Research Council MC_PC_MR/R018677/1Medical Research Council MR/R018677/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAdolescents in low-resource urban settings in Brazil are often exposed to high levels of trauma that can result in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, preliminary evidence indicates that PTSD tends to be under-reported in Brazilian health services, despite the high prevalence of trauma. Additionally, little is known about the perceived applicability among clinicians of the new ICD-11 diagnosis of complex PTSD (CPTSD), despite its potential relevance for contexts of chronic trauma. The current study investigated local understandings of PTSD and CPTSD among health professionals working with adolescents in violent neighbourhoods of São Paulo city.

methodsSemi-structured interviews were conducted with 58 health professionals working at both the primary care and specialized mental health levels in two areas of São Paulo city with high levels of community violence.

resultsMost participants knew about PTSD, but most did not know about CPTSD. There were mixed views concerning the commonality of PTSD among adolescents exposed to community violence. Many participants reported having no experience working with patients with the PTSD diagnosis. According to some, community violence was normalized by adolescents and health professionals, and did not result in PTSD. Others highlighted how they did not use psychiatric diagnoses in their practice, had critical perspectives towards psychiatric diagnoses and/or PTSD, or simply knew little about PTSD. Furthermore, many highlighted how the chronic nature of multiple traumas experienced by adolescents often resulted in complex clinical presentations characterised by many symptoms beyond PTSD. The diagnosis of CPTSD was considered appropriate to the context by many participants as it captured the complex traumatic histories and symptom presentations of adolescents exposed to community violence in Brazil.

conclusionsThese findings have important implications for the assessment and treatment of mental health among adolescents exposed to community violence in Brazil.

Indexed as

Stress Disorders, Post-TraumaticAdolescentBrazilHumansInternational Classification of DiseasesPrevalenceViolenceAdolescentsBrazilCommunity violenceCPTSDHealth professionalsICD-11PTSD

Identifiers

PMID35303808
PMCPMC8932201
OpenAlexW4221057243

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.