Aim To assess alcohol abuse severity of soldiers who suffer from Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during the Bosnia- Herzegovina 1992-1995 war. Methods A stratified sample was composed of 4 war veterans groups: (A- who asked for psychiatry help during the war, n = 51; B- who continued psychiatry treatment and after the war, n = 51; C- who did not ask for psychiatry help at all, n = 62; Dindustry workers who were not involved in war activities, n = 50). We used DSM IV trauma questionnaire; questionnaire for alcohol dependency self-assessment. Results During the war, 45.4% participants in A, 40.0% in B, 32.8% in C and 14.0% in D group, drunk alcohol more often than before war, while 20.8% of participants in A, 25.5% in B, 27.9% in C and 54.1% in D group drunk alcohol less than before war. Ten months after the war, 58.0% of participants in A, 31.6% in B, 20.0% in C and 20,0% in D group drunk alcohol more than usual, while 18.0% of veterans in A, 36.8% in B, 38.3% in C group and 37,8% workers in D group drunk alcohol less than usual. Upon departure to execute of combat missions to front lines war veterans from A group and B group drunk alcohol beverages significantly more than usual (51.7% and 40,5% respectively). Conclusion War veterans who bear traumatic experiences with difficulties, with more severe symptoms of PTSD were significantly more consumed alcoholic beverages during the war and the execution of combat missions.

IntroductionThe previous neuropsychological studies have pointed to a significant understanding of the neurobiological correlates of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder with deficits in the functions of the intellect.AimTo establish the existence of intellectual changes in war veterans with developed PTSD and their relationship to PTSD.MethodsWar veterans are divided into two groups: Group A, war veterans with PTSD and “B” groups, veterans without PTSD. Were used:-Wechsler's Adult Intelligence Scale (WB-F2)-Trauma Questionnaire (UT-PTSD)Questionnaire-socio-biographical data promjena u intelektualnom funkcionisanju.ResultsThe severity of stress and severity of post-traumatic stress disorder is directly associated with the intellectual functions. War veterans, who had more severe traumatic experience, with a strong and destructive PTSD compared to veterans without PTSD had significantly lower ratio of general, verbal and non-verbal intelligence quotient of mental efficiency, a high level of mental deterioration with significantly pronounced oscillations in intratest and insidetest variability. Veterans with PTSD showed significantly lower scores in the immediate memory capacity, efficient attention, concentration under conditions of mental activity, visual perceptual skills predicted exactly bit of trivial things, of associative elasticity of thinking and short-term learning abilities.ConclusionsThese results suggest that deficits in the intellect, are not primarily the result of low intelligence, of premorbid states, but it occurs under the devastating impact of PTSD, which influencing changes in certain centers in the brain and changes in intellectual functioning.