engleski

Post-traumatic stress disorder in displaced persons and refugees during the war against Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina

Traumatic life events which had preceded the occurrence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were analyzed in persons placed in refugees camps in Austria during the war against Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. There were examined 331 persons (159 males and 172 females at the mean age of 36.9+/-14.3 years), who asked for a psychiatric help 5 to 7 months after they have experienced stressful war event(s). The diagnosis of PTSD according to DSM-III-R criteria was made in 165 (49.8%) persons (49.1% males and 50.6% females), but in 166 persons this diagnosis was not made. PTSD was significantly more frequently diagnosed in persons with an earlier psychiatric anamnesis (p<0.004), as well in poly- traumatic persons (p<0.001). PTSD was diagnosed in all examined subjects who were wounded, who were present at the killing of a family member, present at the rape of a family member, and by all women who were raped. PTSD was more often (p<0.01) made in examined persons who experienced death of a close person, those who were in a prisoner-of-war camp, those who saw killing of other people, as well as those who found themselves in a battle- field. Also this diagnosis was more often (p<0.05) found in those who were forced to leave their home. Comparing the group with PTSD and the group without PTSD there were not found any statistically significant differences according to following stressful events in their anamnesis: physical mistreatment, threat of death, seeing killed people and unknown destiny of family members.

stress disorders; traumatic; refugees

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