Vol. 34
1992
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Issue 3/4 Vol. 34 1992 |
Drug therapy combined with short-term group psychotherapeutic treatment was applied in management of Croatian soldiers from the Lika battlefield who suffered from psychical traumas. Psychotherapy ranged from 10 to 15 consecutive daily sessions.
Our research included a sample of 60 soldiers who had been sent away from the battlefield because of their temporal disability due to incidence of acute PTSD symptoms. They were roughly divided into two groups;
(1) Experimental group (N=30) consisted of soldiers temporarily disabled for military service. They were put on a two-week group programme of psychotherapy;
(2) Control group (N=30) consisted of soldiers temporarily disabled for military service, who, however, were not included in any psychotherapeutic programme.
Patients of both groups were of approximately the same age, education background, were administered the same type of psychotropic medication, and the time since the trauma occurred were about the same. Their emotional state and psychosomatic scales were taken before and after treatment (experimental group), or at the initial check-up, as well as 2 weeks after the therapy (control group). As far as the experimental group is concerned, significant differences regarding the intensity of emotions, i.e. fear, sadness, anger and psychosomatic manifestations were observed after two-week group psychotherapy. Nevertheless, on completion of psychotherapy, the mentioned variables showed a considerably lower intensity. No statistically significant differences regarding the first and second evaluation were observed among the patients from the control group.
Keywords: posttraumatic stress disorder, psychiatry in war, war, traumatic experiences, soldiers
Short Title: Bertovic, G. et al. (1992) PsyBeit 3-4:280
Gordana Bertovic[Pabst Science Publishers] [Psychologische Beiträge] [Table of Contents] [Search] [Order]
