title: Appraisal of self, social environment, and state authority as a possible mediator of posttraumatic stress disorder in tortured political activists.
abstract: This study examined appraisal of self and others, as measured by semantic differential ratings of Police, State, Society, Family, Friend, Myself as a Man/Woman, and Myself as a Political Person, in 55 tortured political activists in Turkey, 55 nontortured political activists, and 55 nontortured, politically noninvolved controls. There were no remarkable differences between tortured and nontortured political activists; both groups differed from controls in having a more negative appraisal of the police and the state and stronger perceptions of danger, mistrust, and injustice in relation to state authority. Lack of beliefs concerning a "benevolent state" may have protected the survivors from the traumatic effects of state-perpetrated torture. Further research into the possible protective role of belief systems in posttraumatic stress disorder is needed.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychiatry, University of London, England.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Başoğlu
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ozmen
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sahin
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Paker
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Taşdemir
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ceyhanli
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Incesu
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sarimurat
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004532:Ego; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011057:Politics; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012931:Social Environment; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D014104:Torture