Increase of frequency of post-traumatic stress disorder in disabled war veterans during prolonged stay in a rehabilitation hospital.
OBJECTIVE
To explore possible causative factors in the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in disabled Croatian war veterans.


METHODS
The sample comprised 42 disabled Croatian war veterans, aged 19 to 44 years, accommodated in the VaraZdinske Toplice Rehabilitation Hospital for the purpose of long-term physical rehabilitation. Manifestation of PTSD symptoms (Mississippi Scale for Combat-Related Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) and anxiety levels (Spilberger's State Trait Anxiety Inventory) were tested in 1994 and 1999.


RESULTS
Patients with PTSD symptoms had significantly higher anxiety levels then patients without PTSD symptoms. The percentage of patients manifesting PTSD increased from 19% in 1994 to 41% in 1999. Over the same period, the anxiety levels decreased in the patients with PTSD.


CONCLUSIONS
Anxiety and PTSD seem to share common etiologic grounds. Nevertheless, staying in the same homogenous group for a substantial period of time, in combination with inadequate social support and deficient psychological care, may contribute to the development of the PTSD symptomatology.
Department of Psychological Medicine, Zagreb University Hospital Center, Kispaticeva 12, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
R
R
Gregurek
L
L
Pavić
H
H
Vuger-Kovacić
S
S
Potrebica
Z
Z
Bitar
D
D
Kovacić
S
S
Danić
E
E
Klain
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D017523:Croatia / Q000453:epidemiology; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D011336:Probability; D012047:Rehabilitation Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012494:Sampling Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014728:Veterans; D014857:Warfare; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*