The relative contribution of war experiences and exile-related stressors to levels of psychological distress among Bosnian refugees

This study examined the relative contribution of 2 exile‐related variables—social isolation and daily activity level—and war experiences of violence and loss, to levels of PTSD and depressive symptomatology in 2 groups of Bosnian refugees, 1 clinical group (N = 59) and the other a nonclinical commun...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of traumatic stress 2002-10, Vol.15 (5), p.377-387
Main Authors: Miller, Kenneth E., Weine, Stevan M., Ramic, Alma, Brkic, Nenad, Bjedic, Zvezdana Djuric, Smajkic, Amer, Boskailo, Esad, Worthington, Greg
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Activities of Daily Living
Adult
Adult and adolescent clinical studies
Anxiety disorders. Neuroses
Biological and medical sciences
Bosnia and Herzegovina - ethnology
Bosnia Herzegovina
distress
exile
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Male
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Political Defection
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Psychological Distress
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Refugees
Refugees - psychology
Social Isolation
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - diagnosis
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - epidemiology
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - psychology
Surveys and Questionnaires
United States - epidemiology
Victimology
War
Warfare
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Summary:This study examined the relative contribution of 2 exile‐related variables—social isolation and daily activity level—and war experiences of violence and loss, to levels of PTSD and depressive symptomatology in 2 groups of Bosnian refugees, 1 clinical group (N = 59) and the other a nonclinical community (N = 40) group. As hypothesized, exposure to war‐related violence was highly predictive of PTSD symptoms in both groups: in addition, social isolation was significantly related to PTSD symptomatology in the community group. In contrast, depressive symptomatology was accounted tor primarily by the exile‐related stressors. For the clinical group, depressive symptoms were also accounted for by experiences of war‐related loss. The implications of these findings for mental health interventions with refugees are considered.
ISSN:0894-9867
1573-6598
DOI:10.1023/A:1020181124118