POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER IN ARMED ROBBERY VICTIMS AND EX-PRISONERS OF WAR

• Authors: Bobic J. , Pavicevic L. , Gomzi M.
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptom clusters in 72 armed robbery victims (AR) at their work place. 19 were assaulted twice or three times, while 15 suffered mild or minor physical injury. The subjects were 47 female and 25 male employees who were having 1 to 11 months of sick leave period at the time of examination. According to the psychiatric examination 38.9% fulfilled criteria for PTSD, while others had different combinations of symptoms. The statistical analysis showed that the whole group dominantly expressed persistent re-experience of the event, followed by the arousal symptoms. Those with full PTSD diagnosis did not differ from the others in age, level of education, number of assaults, length of sick leave period or the fact that they had or had not been physically injured. No difference was found between those who suffered only one attack and those who were assaulted twice or three times in a short period of time. The repetition of identical or very similar trauma situation did not contribute to the increased number of psychological problems measured by PTSD scales. Additionally, we compared the structure of PTSD in AR victims and in a group of 100 male ex-prisoners of war (ex-POW). The results indicate greater occurrence of full PTSD in AR group, as well as the re-experience and arousal symptoms combination in those with partial PTSD, while ex-POW group dominantly showed the arousal symptoms as isolated cluster, followed by combination of the re-experience and arousal symptoms.

Keywords

EN

ARMED ROBBERY; POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD); PRISONERS OF WAR; TRAUMA VICTIMS

Discipline

• PSYCHOLOGY: PSYCHOLOGY

• Publisher: Institute of Experimental Psychology, Slovak Academy of Sciences
• Journal: Studia Psychologica
• Year: 2007
• Volume: 49
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 135-144
• Document type: ARTICLE

Contributors

author

Bobic J.

author

Pavicevic L.

author

Gomzi M.

• J. Bobic, Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Ksaverska cesta, 10001 Zagreb, Croatia,

Identifiers

CEJSH db identifier

07SKAAAA02635407