The use of self-reports in psychiatric studies of traumatized refugees: Validation and analysis of HSCL-25

A consecutive sample of 231 refugee patients referred to the outpatient unit at the Psychosocial Centre for Refugees, University of Oslo, were examined by means of a semistructured clinical interview, the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), and the self-reports Hopkins Symptoms Check List (HSCL-25) and a checklist for post-traumatic symptoms (PTSS-10). A significant relation was found between the self-report scores on the HSCL-25 and ratings made by the clinician on Global Assessment of Function Scale (GAF) and Global Rating on Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS). A further analysis showed that HSCL-25 had a significant relation with mainly two of the four symptom patterns identified in a factor analysis of BPRS, namely Factor II (emotional withdrawal/retardation) and Factor III (anxiety/depression). Multiple regression analyses based on HSCL-25 scores for age, sex, nationality of origin, stay in prison, torture, exposure to war actions, refugee status, and employment situation in Norway showed a significant association with sex, nationality of origin, refugee status, and employment situation in Norway, but with not with any of the traumatization factors.