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.

Aim To assess the severity of anxiety as state and as trait, depressiveness and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) of adolescents after artificial abortion up to 12th week of pregnancy. Methods The study was carried out in Tuzla Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BH). We assessed 120 female adolescents aged 17.7 ± 1.5 years for trauma experiences, presence of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSD Questionnaire), depression (Beck's Depression Inventory - BDI) and anxiety as state, and anxiety as trait (STAI - Form Y). Sixty adolescents had intentional artificial abortion and 60 had no abortion. Results Adolescents who aborted pregnancy presented significantly more severe depressiveness (mean ± standard deviation=39.2 ± 16.1) than adolescents who did not abort (17 ± 12.9; F = 69.249, P Conclusions Adolescents who aborted pregnancy presented significantly more severe intensity of depressiveness and significantly more severe anxiety as state and trait than those who did not abort, but there were no differences in severity of PTS symptoms in abortion and no abortion group of adolescents.

AIMTo estimate the frequency, type, and severity of psychological trauma among Bosnian refugee adolescents during the process of repatriation after the 1992-1995 war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.METHODSA sample of 239 pupils (120 girls and 119 boys), with a mean age (+/-standard deviation) of 15.2+/-2.1 years were assessed for war traumatic events, acculturation and repatriation maladjustments, school behavioral problems, and presence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The sample consisted of adolescents who were in the process of repatriation after exile in a foreign country (n=120) and internally displaced adolescents (n=119).RESULTSAdolescents who had been exposed to severe psychological war trauma still had high level of trauma more than three years after the end of war. The level of recalling traumas they experienced (mean+/-standard deviation=3.9+/-1.2 on a scale from 0 to 5) and frequency of PTSD symptoms (1.5+/-1.0 on a scale from 0-5) were significantly lower among repatriated than internally displaced adolescents (4.4+/-0.7 and 2.2+/-1.1, respectively; P<0.001). The prevalence of PTSD did not differ between repatriated (56.7%) and internally displaced adolescents (68.1%). Returnees with more acculturation problems reported more functional and relational problems after return but less psycho-emotional dysfunctions. Those who adapted to the culture in the exile country had difficulties in adapting back to the culture in the home country.CONCLUSIONSPTSD was still very frequent among Bosnian refugee adolescents 3.5 years after the end of war. Adolescents who had spent more than five years as refugees in foreign countries had significantly lower level of experienced trauma recall and frequency of PTSD symptoms, as well as less anxious/depressed and withdrawn/depressed behavioral problems, and somatic complaints. Returnees who had more acculturation problems in exile reported more functional and relational problems but less psycho-emotional problems after repatriation. Schools and other institutions involved in the education of adolescents should develop programs to address these issues.

In this paper, the authors were researching on expression of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and on effect of psychosocial help to children. Existence, time of appearing, way of going through experience and expression of PTSD symptoms were established. There were methodical used structured interviews, Questionnaire for children (Saigh, 1991) and Estimation scale for engagement of children in group work. Refugee and domicile children of age from 7 to 11 years and from 12 to 16 years old were involved in program of psychosocial care. In this research there were more significant the girls than the boys (p < 0.005). Applied therapy methods have given significant effect in increasing of willing to take part in the dialogue (p < 0.005), in increasing of interest to work in group (p < 0.005) and bigger contribute each one within group (p < 0.005). By that, it is being confirmed that the effect of methodical procedure and therapy treatment at children is successful and applicable in future activities.

While researching psychological disorders in soldiers during the war in Bosnia, besides the psychiatric simptomatology in post trauma stress disorder (PTSD), we analyzed also expressed somatic symptoms. The sample consists of 164 soldiers from the first front lines, divided into three groups: Group A (N = 51), soldiers who during the war asked for psychological and/or psychiatric help, group B (N = 51) soldiers who are after the war on stationary or clinical treatment and group C (N = 62) soldiers who during and after the war, did not ask for psychiatric help even though they had psychiatric problems. With the trauma questionnaire and obvious PTSD symptoms the degree of the traumatic experience and the structure of PTSD was determined, and with the self-evaluation health condition questionnaire the subjective health condition evaluation during the prewar, war and the time after the war was determined with expressed physical disorders. Another important difference was determined (P < 0.01) between soldiers who had a high stress level and suffered from PTSD, who asked during and after the war for psychological and/or psychiatric help (groups A and B) and soldiers who suffered less from PTSD and who did not ask for professional help during nor after the war (group C). 60.8% soldiers in group C and 42.1% in group B during the war, and 41.3% in group A and 92.2% in group B after the war, points out their weak or very weak health condition compared with the soldiers from group C, where 1.6% during the war and 9.7% after the war pointed out their weak or very weak health condition. Somatic symptoms are mainly in conjunction with the cardiovascular system, 47.1% in group A and 78.4% in group B, also gastrointestinal system, 50.9% in group A and 37.3% in group B, followed by back pains, 31.4% in group A and 43.1% in group B. The first signs of somatic symptoms are in direct connection with first signs of traumatic experience and first signs of PTSD symptoms. The results confirm previous researches and that is that soldiers with traumatic experiences which they can hardly bare and who suffer for a long period of time from PTSD have also the biggest number of somatic symptoms.