×
Home Current Archive Editorial board
News Contact
Review paper

Psychological characteristics of war veterans after the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina

By
Zihnet Selimbašić Orcid logo ,
Zihnet Selimbašić
Contact Zihnet Selimbašić

Department of Psychiatry, University Clinical Centre Tuzla, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina

School of Medicine, University Tuzla, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Azra Kurtić ,
Azra Kurtić

School of Medicine, University Tuzla, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Mirna Selimbašić ,
Mirna Selimbašić

Department of Neurology, University Clinical Centre Tuzla, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Maja Brkić ,
Maja Brkić

Department of Psychiatry, University Clinical Centre Tuzla, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation, University Tuzla, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Dženita Hrvić
Dženita Hrvić

Department of Psychiatry, University Clinical Centre Tuzla, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Abstract

Aim
To determine psychological characteristics of war veterans after the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H).
Methods
The study included 207 war veterans with war experience in B&H. Evaluation of veterans was conducted by the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire (HTQ)-B&H version, Emotion Profile Index (EPI), Life Style Questionnaire (Life Style index-LSI). Results
Veterans who show symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) had more traumatic experiences and higher level of traumatization than veterans who did not show PTSD symptoms (p=0.000). Low level of reproduction, incorporation, lack of control, self-defence and exploratory and acceptable responses (p=0.000), lack of control (p=0.025) and deprivation (p=0.013) were shown on the emotional profile by war veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Negation, intellectualization and compensation were coping strategies for traumatic experiences and symptoms of PTSD, used by war veterans.
Conclusion
War veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder experienced more traumatic experiences and show more severe symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. In the emotional profile, there was a lower level of emotional states, and coping strategies with posttraumatic stress disorder were negating, intellectualization and compensation. The treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder is becoming a conspicuous public health problem.

References

1.
Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. VA. American Psychiatric Association; 2013.
2.
Marmar C, Schlenger W, Henn-Haase C, Qian M, Purchia E, Li M, et al. Course of posttraumatic stress disorder 40 years after the Vietnam war: findings from the national Vietnam veterans longitudinal study. JAMA Psychiatry. 2015. p. 875–81.
3.
Lohr J, Palmer B, Eidit C, Ailaboyina S, Mausbatch B, Wolkowitz O, et al. Is post-traumatic stress disorder associated with premature senescence? A review of the literature. Am. J. Geriatr. Psychiatry. 2015. p. 709–25.
4.
Avdibegović E, Delić A, Hadžibeganović K, Selimbašić Z. Somatic patient with posttraumatic stress disorder. Med Arch. 2010. p. 124–7.
5.
Rosenbaum S, Stubbs B, Ward P, Steel Z, Lederman O, Vancampfort D. The prevalence and risk of metabolic syndrome and its components among people with posttraumatic stress disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Metabolism. 2015. p. 926–33.
6.
Šakušić A, Avdibegović E, Zoričić Z, Pavlović S, Gaspar V, Delić A. Relationship between anger, alcoholism and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorders in war veterans. Med Arch. 2010. p. 354–8.
7.
Smid G, Mooren T, Van Der Mast R, Gersons B, Kleber R. Delayed posttraumatic stress disorder: systematic review, meta-analysis, and metaregression analysis of prospective studies. J. Clin. Psych. 2009. p. 1572–82.
8.
Teten A, Schumacher J, Taft C, Stanley M, Kent T, Bailey S, et al.
9.
Intimate partner aggression perpetrated and sustained by male Afghanistan, Iraq, and Vietnam veterans with and without posttraumatic stress disorder. J Interpers Violence. 2010. p. 1612–30.
10.
Zdjelarević A, Komar Z, Lončar M, Dijanić I, Plašć I, Hrabac P, et al. Quality of life in families of Croatian veterans 15 years after the war. Coll Antropol. 2011. p. 281–6.
11.
Kok B, Herrell R, Thomas J, Hoge C. Posttraumatic stress disorder associated with combat service in Iraq or Afghanistan: reconciling prevalence differences between studies. J Nerv Ment Dis. 2012. p. 444–50.
12.
Selimbašić Z, Brkić M, Kravić N, Hamidović J, Selimbašić M. Post-traumatic stress disorder and coping styles of war veterans from Tuzla Canton twenty years after the war. Med Glas (Zenica). 2018. p. 66–70.
13.
Allden K, Cerić I, Kapetanović A, Lavelle J, Loga S, Mathias M, et al. Bosnia-Herzegovina version. 1998.
14.
Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-IV). American Psychiatric Association; 1994.
15.
Oruč L, Kapetanović A, Pojskić N, Miley K, Forstbauer S, Mollica R, et al. Screening for PTSD and depression in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Validating the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire and the Hopkins Symptom Checklist. Int J Cult Ment Health. 2008. p. 105–16.
16.
Anonimous. Medicinska naklada: Zagreb. 1994.
17.
Plutchik R, Kellerman H. Priručnik za indeks profila emocija (PIE). Naklada Slap; 2000.
18.
Conte H, Apter A. Ego Defenses: Theory and Measurement. John Wiley and Sons; 1995. p. 179–201.
19.
Plutchik R, Kellerman H, Conte H. Emotions in Personality and Psychopathology. Plenum Press; 1979.
20.
Lamovec T, Bele-Potočnik Ž, Boben D. Upitnik životnog stila i obrambeni mehanizmi. Ljubljana. Centar za psihodijagnostična sredstva -Zavod za produktivnost dela. 1990. p. 274.
21.
Dedić G, Kostić P, Trlaja L. Coping with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Returning Troops: Wounds of War II. IOS Press; 2010. p. 69–79.
22.
Fontana A, Rosenheck R. Treatment-seeking veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan: comparison with veterans of previous wars. J Nerv Ment Dis. 2008. p. 513–21.
23.
Fontana A, Rosenheck R, Desai R. Female veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan seeking care from VA specialized PTSD programs: comparison with male veterans and female war zone veterans of previous eras. J of Womens Health (Larchmt). 2010. p. 751–7.
24.
Murphy R, Ashwic R, Palmer E, Busuttil W. Describing the profile of a population of UK veterans seeking support for mental health difficulties. J Ment Health. 2017. p. 1–8.
25.
Murphy D, Busuttil W. Exploring factors that predict treatment outcomes in UK veterans treated for PTSD. Psychol Res. 2015. p. 441–51.
26.
Murphy D, Palmer E, Wessely S, Oddy M, Da S, Ramos S, et al. Prevalence and associations between traumatic brain injury and mental health difficulties within UK veterans accessing support for mental health difficulties. Psychol Res. 2015. p. 613–23.
27.
Mršić H, Bogović S, A. PIE profil kod veterana domovinskog rata sa kroničnim PTSP-om. Suvremena psihologija. 2008. p. 273–85.
28.
Lj T, Kostić P, Dedić G. Posttraumatski stresni poremećaj ratnih ranjenika. Psihologija. 1997. p. 425–36.
29.
Knežević M, Krupić D, Šućurović S. Coping strategies in war veterans 20 years after exposure to extreme stress. Društvena istraživanja. 2016. p. 353–70.
30.
Shariati A, Dehghani A. Comparison of coping and defensive styles in veterans and without posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Iranian J of War & Public Helath. 2018. p. 99–105.
31.
Mikaeili N, Einy S, Taghavy R. Role of coping styles, locus of control, and emotional intelligence in predicting social adjustment of veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder. Iranian J of War & Public Health. 2018. p. 195–201.

Citation

Authors retain copyright. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Creative Commons License

 

Article metrics

Google scholar: See link

The statements, opinions and data contained in the journal are solely those of the individual authors and contributors and not of the publisher and the editor(s). We stay neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.