title: Use of healthcare services 8 years after the war in Kosovo: role of post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of the present study was to examine the use of health-care services and medication, as well as health risk behaviours such as smoking, in relation with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depressive episode (MDE) in post-war Kosovo.
  
  
  METHODS
  A sample of 864 adults was interviewed in 2007 of which 551 took part in a 2001 survey. They were assessed using the PTSD and MDE sections of the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) and the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). Use of health-care services, alcohol and tobacco were also recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Respondents were predominantly female (56.6%) with a median age of 36 years and a primary educational level (44.6%). While 11.9% of participants met diagnostic criteria for PTSD, MDE prevalence was 30.6%. Both PTSD and MDE were significantly associated with lower scores on the SF-36 physical component summary. After adjustment for sex, age, education, unemployment, municipality and SF-36 perceived physical health, no significant association was observed between PTSD and medical visits in the past 12 months, hospitalizations in the past 12 months and use of medication in the past 7 days. Results were similar for MDE, except for a significantly higher frequency of medication use that included psychotropic and other drug classes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Eight years after the war in Kosovo, poor perceived physical health displayed a long-lasting association with PTSD and MDE and was a major determinant of increased use of health-care services without additional contribution of PTSD per se.
authors: Department of Mental Health and Psychiatry, University Hospitals of Geneva, Switzerland. ariel.eytan@hcuge.ch
authors: Ariel
authors: A
authors: Eytan
authors: Marianne
authors: M
authors: Gex-Fabry
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014857:Warfare; D055815:Young Adult; D015022:Yugoslavia / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents