D. THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL STATUS OF IRAQI REFUGEES AND ITS ETIOLOGY Ibrahim Kira, PhD; Adnan Hammad, PhD; Linda Lewandowski, PhD; Thomas Templin, PhD; Vidya Ramaswamy, PhD; Bulent Ozkan; Jamal Mohanesh Ethn Dis. 2007;17[Suppl 3]:S3-79–S3-82 Key Words: Iraq, Gulf War, Immigrant Health INTRODUCTION Iraqi refugees who present as mental health clients provide an educational challenge due to the severity of their problems. In a previous study, 1 we found elevated levels of poor health and mental health in Iraqi refugees. The objectives of the present study were to replicate and to explore potential root causes of such elevation. METHODS Participants included a quota sample of 501 (274 males), with age ranges between 12 and 79 years and a mean age of 35.7 6 13.95 years. The sample represented Iraqi refugees who came from different channels of refuge. Sixty percent were married, 31% single, 4% separated, and 4% divorced. Of the sample, 5.4% were illiterate, 56% had educational levels ranging from second grade to high school, and 34% were college students or graduates. Ten percent had resided in the United States for up to two years, 32% for 3–5 years, 36% for 6–10 years, and 21% for more than 10 years. Ninety percent were Shiite Muslims, 5.8% were Sunni Muslims and 3.2% were Christians. Measures: Independent variable measures Cumulative Trauma Measure (CT). This measure contains 22 kinds of traumatic experiences, (eg, torture, war, rape, sexual and physical abuse, car accidents, abandonment by parents and natural disasters). Each participant was asked to report the frequency of each kind of trauma experienced. The mea- sure includes 6 sub-scales: 1) collective identity trauma, (eg,‘‘discriminated against or threatened due to race or ethnicity or religion’’); 2) family trau- ma, (ie, divorce and family history of violence); 3) secondary traumatization or interdependence trauma; 4) personal identity/autonomy trauma, (ie, sexual abuse); 5) survival trauma; and 6) abandonment trauma. The measure was found to have reliability, construct validity and good predictive validity, as it correlated significantly with PTSD and CTD (cumulative trauma disor- ders) scales. Media Exposure to War in Iraq Scale (MEWS). Media exposure was measured by one question that asked the respondent to report how many hours a day on average the respondent watched/listened to the news about the war in Iraq. Family/Friends Hurt in the War Scale (FFPWS). This scale measured the degree of the individual’s family involvement in the war and how they were affected by the war. Two items ask respondents if they have a family member or friend who has been killed, wounded or lost property due to the war. The scale has alpha reliability of .81. Additional measures for perceived backlash after September 11 and multi-ethnic per- ceived discrimination were also used. Measures: Dependent variable measures PTSD Measure (CAPS-2). This measure was developed by Blacke 2 and is widely used to assess PTSD. It assesses 17 symptoms, with each symptom rated on frequency and severity on a 5-point scale. CAPS From ACCESS Community Health and Research Center (IK, AH, JM), Dearborn, Michigan; and Wayne State University (LL, TT, VR, BO), Detroit, Michigan. Ethnicity & Disease, Volume 17, Summer 2007 S3-79