PhenX - exposures to violence - adult protocol 181401

Exposures to violence - adult proto

Definition

The respondent is asked a comprehensive list of questions about trauma and victimization experiences over his/her lifetime. If the respondent answers "yes" to the first question, the interviewer administers additional follow-up questions about the event. Follow-up questions collect information about the person's age when the event occurred, whether serious injury or death was involved, if there was an intense feeling of fear and helplessness, the frequency of the event, and whether anyone else ever tried to harm the person in the same way. The questions are sensitive and cover subjects such as physical violence, sexual abuse, suicide, and murder. The Psychosocial Working Group recommends that the Lifetime Traumatic and Victimization History (LTVH) instrument be used as a comprehensive assessment of an individual's lifetime experiences to traumatic and victimization events. This instrument is used to capture information about a wide range of serious events (e.g., natural disasters, physical or sexual abuse, criminal assault, items stolen from you, accidents) that may have negative consequences (e.g., psychological distress, increased vulnerability). It is not a diagnostic tool for mental health conditions. Adults who have experienced physical abuse, sexual abuse, or another traumatic event may be very sensitive to these questions. The interviewer should respect the privacy of the respondent and administer the questions in a location where others cannot overhear the interview.