The relationship between post-traumatic symptoms and life in exile in a clinical group of refugees from the former Yugoslavia.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the association between life situation factors and post-traumatic symptoms among refugees from the former Yugoslavia.


METHODS
Twenty-six refugees from the former Yugoslavia were examined by the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire during psychiatric treatment, and 3 years later. At follow-up they also answered a questionnaire regarding their life situations.


RESULTS
A higher post-traumatic symptom level at follow-up was associated with a pattern of negative living conditions such as open unemployment, social isolation, and a high dependence on social welfare. Gender differences were found regarding the factors most related to symptom severity.


CONCLUSIONS
The results indicate that a main problem in this patient group may be how to break vicious circles of high symptom levels and a poor life situation which suggests a need for integrated rehabilitation efforts.
Kivling-Bodén
G
G
Department of Psychology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden. gunilla.kivling.boden@swipnet.se
Sundbom
E
E
D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012036:Refugees / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D015022:Yugoslavia / Q000208:ethnology