Naslov
Chronic pain and secondary traumatization in wives of Croatian war veterans treated for post traumatic stress disorder

Autori
Koić, Elvira ; Frančišković, Tanja ; Mužinić-Masle, Lana ; Đorđević, Veljko ; Vondraček, Snježana ; Prpić, Jasmina

Izvornik
Acta clinica Croatica (0353-9466) 41 (2002); 295-306

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Radovi u časopisima, članak, znanstveni

Ključne riječi
posttraumaticstress disorder; combat disorders; family health; war; Croatia

Sažetak
Numerous consequences of the war in Croatia include a series of psychosocial disturbances. Due to many traumatic exeriences a number of Croatian war veterans have developed posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). With its specific symptoms, PTSD has a significant impact on the usual social functioning of the veterans. It is especially pronaunced in the family which, on one side, should offer emotional support to its sick member, and on the other hand, suffers most from the condition of one of its members. In most cases the veterans wives are those who try to preserve and mantain previous family balance. In the present study, mental consequences of living with a husband suffering from PTSD were investigated. Two groups of veterans wives were compared: wives of husbands suffering from PTSD and wives of husbands free from PTSD. The following instruments were used: M-PTSD scale for PTSD ; HSCL-25 for depression and anxiety ; and questionnaires about demographic dana and chronic pain. Study results revealed the wives of veterans suffering from PTSD to be significantly more depressive and anxious, to have a higher frequency of symptoms of vicarious traumatization, to have a higher prevalence of painful syndromes resistant to usual medical treatment, as compared with the group of the wives of veterans without PTSD. It is concluded that PTSD in a veteran significantly affects the psychosocial status of his wife, and that she suffers considerably from his illnes.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Kliničke medicinske znanosti, Javno zdravstvo i zdravstvena zaštita

Napomena
Rad je kao predavanje prezentirasn na skupu "3rd World Congress "Neurological Rehabilitation", održanom od 02.-06.04.2002, Venecija, Italija, i objavljen u zborniku uz međunarodnu recenziju.

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