Issue 3/4 Vol. 34 1992

Chronic psychiatric patients in wartime

KUTLESA, V.

During the war in Croatia, when many psychiatric institutions were destroyed or under constant threat of shelling, and patients had to be evacuated, 30 patients from the hospital in Pakrac and 11 patients from Zemunik were brought to the University Hospital in Vrape. They were chronic patients, most of them schizophrenics and oligophrenics, and there were several alcoholics. The author's research proved his anticipations regarding their reaction to the war situation. Upon arrival, most of them were calm, and no essential changes were observed in their clinical picture, i.e. there were no psychopathological manifestations related to the current external circumstances. Only a few patients were agitated, but not significantly. Their agitated condition resulted not from the fear of war, but rather from the lack of hygienic conditions and food. Therefore, the patients calmed down within 24-48 hours, i.e. as soon as they were bathed and fed. The author's expectation that there would be no essential changes in the psychopathology of chronic schizophrenic and oligophrenic patients and alcoholics with dull affective and volitional functions was confirmed by this study.

Keywords: psychiatry in war, war

Short Title: Kutlesa, V. (1992) PsyBeit 3-4:323

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