title: Surviving genocide in Srebrenica during the early childhood and adolescent personality.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine how the experience of genocide in Srebrenica in the early childhood (ages 1-5) influences the psychological health in adolescence.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study included 100 school-attending adolescents, age 15-16 (born in 1990-91) who were divided in two groups according to the place of residence from 1992-1995: the Srebrenica group - adolescents who lived in Srebrenica during the siege and the non-Srebrenica group who lived in the "free territory," were not wounded, and experienced no losses. We used the socio-demographic questionnaire created for the purposes of our study and the War Trauma Questionnaire, Posttraumatic Stress Reactions Questionnaire, Self-report Depressive Scale (Zung), Freiburg Personality Inventory, and the Lifestyle Questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Srebrenica adolescents experienced significantly more traumatic experiences (14.26 ± 3.11 vs 4.86 ± 3.16, P<0.001). Although there was no signifcant difference in the total score of posttraumatic stress reactions and intensity of depression between the two groups, significantly higher scores of posttraumatic stress reaction were noticed for several specific questions. The most prominent defense mechanisms in both groups were projection, intellectualization, and reactive formation. Srebrenica adolescents had higher sociability levels (34.7% vs 16.0%, χ(2)=7.231, P=0.020).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Srebrenica adolescents reported significantly more severe PTSD symptoms and significantly greater sociability. Our findings could be used for planning treatment and improving communication and overcoming traumas in war-affected areas.
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Tuzla University Clinical Center, Trnovac bb, 75 000 Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina. nermina.kravic@ukctuzla.ba
authors: Nermina
authors: N
authors: Kravić
authors: Izet
authors: I
authors: Pajević
authors: Mevludin
authors: M
authors: Hasanović
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017522:Bosnia and Herzegovina / Q000453:epidemiology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D063365:Genocide; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014857:Warfare