Issue 3/4 Vol. 34 1992

Sibenik Hospital - psychiatric ward for women during the first six war months

SIROVICA, S.

This paper presents the work of the Sibenik Hospital psychiatric ward and dispensary service for women of the Sibenik and Drni{ regions during the first six months of the 1991/1992 war in Croatia.

1. Psychically ill women adapted to the living conditions in the hospital shelter well. They were accepted by the somatic patients and staff of the non-psychiatric wards of the Sibenik Hospital.

2. Nurses from the psychiatric ward largely contributed to the regularity of events and good adaptation of the psychical patients on the ward and in the shelter. The nurses also showed a high tolerance for aggressive, as well as sensitiveness to non-aggressive forms of human suffering.

3. The number of psychopathological symptoms on the psychiatric ward for women was, according to the nurses' observations, almost the same in peace and war conditions.

4. The total number of hospitalised women, particularly the schizophrenic ones, was the same in peace and war conditions.

5. It seems that psychopharmacotherapy and the dispensary approach in ambulatory work of the psychiatric service essentially contributed to the prevention of hospitalisation and rehospitalisation of the most difficult patients. Practically no schizophrenic woman was rehospitalised because of war incidents in the first six months of the war.

Keywords: psychiatry in war, war

Short Title: Sirovica, S. (1992) PsyBeit 3-4:336

[Pabst Science Publishers] [Psychologische Beiträge] [Table of Contents] [Search] [Order]