engleski

Prevalence of psychotic comorbidity in combat-related PTSD

Objective: We explored the prevalence of comorbidity of psychotic symptoms in Croatian war veterans with combat-related posttraumatic-stress disorder (PTSD) and psychotic features in these patients, as well as association between psychotic symptoms and personality disorders. Methods: The study composed of 680 men who experienced combat stress and had diagnoses of PTSD confirmed before examination. They were compared with group of 289 soldiers with combat experience under regular medical examination, and who were still in active military service. The groups were matched in duration of combat experience, time passed between combat experience and the study, age, marital status, and education. Statistical analysis was performed using t-test and chi-square test. Results: The study shows that 15% of war veterans had current and chronic PTSD and 45% had PTSD with one or more comorbid diagnoses. Psychotic disorders with PTSD were confirmed in 17% and major depressive disorder with psychotic features in 15% of those patients. Depression and psychotic symptoms were more often found in patients without personality disorder. Also, we found that 9% of the war veterans who are still in active military service had some of psychiatric disorders. Conclusions: High number of patients demonstrated psychotic symptoms different from flash-backs and dissociative symptoms. Those psychotic symptoms are an integral part of PTSD and have a symbolic relation to the trauma.

comorbidity; psychotic symptoms; Croatian war veterans; combat-related posttraumatic-stress disorder (PTSD)

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