Original scientific paper

https://doi.org/10.24869/psyd.2022.464

A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY OF PSYCHIATRIC COMORBIDITY IN CROATIAN HOMELAND WAR VETERANS WHO WERE HELD AS PRISONERS OF WAR AND ARE AFFECTED BY POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER

Melita Jukić orcid.org/0000-0001-8230-4937 ; Department of Psychiatry, National Memorial Hospital Vukovar, Vukovar, Croatia
Jasminka Talapko ; Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia
Ivana Škrlec ; Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia
Petra Čičak ; Faculty of Medicine, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia
Marko Jukić ; Faculty of Food Technology, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia
Jasmina Lukinac ; Faculty of Food Technology, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia
Ivan Požgain ; Faculty of Medicine, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia

Abstract

Background: As a extremely traumatic experience, captivity may cause other mental disorders in addition to posttraumatic
stress disorder, which is highly prevalent among ex-prisoners of war, and which often occurs in comorbidity with at least one other
mental disorder. This objective of this study is to identify the incidence of comorbid mental disorders in Homeland war veterans exprisoners
of war affected by posttraumatic stress disorder, as well as to identify the factors that influenced psychiatric comorbidity.
Subjects and methods: The study sample comprised 264 subjects, all of whom were Croatian Homeland War veterans with
combat experience in the defence of the Republic of Croatia, and all of whom fulfilled clinical criteria for posttraumatic stress
disorder at the time of the study. The subjects were divided into two groups: the experimental group was composed of ex- prisoners
of war, and the control group of veterans who had never been prisoners of war. The methods of sociodemographic questionnaire,
posttraumatic stress disorder self-report checklist and the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire were used in the study. Psychiatric
comorbidity data were retrieved from the subjects’ anamnesis and medical records.
Results: The results showed that ex- prisoners of war were exposed to a statistically much higher number of traumatic events,
and had a significantly higher total number of psychiatric comorbidities (p<0.01) than the control group. The incidence of acute and
transient psychotic disorders, generalized anxiety disorders and psychological and behavioural factors associated with disorders or
diseases classified elsewhere was significantly higher among ex- prisoners of war. There was no statistically significant difference in
overall posttraumatic stress disorder intensity between the two groups (p<0.05).
Conclusions: The results of the study confirm our hypothesis that the incidence of psychiatric comorbidity is higher in exprisoners
of war.

Keywords

posttraumatic stress disorder; Croatian Homeland War veterans; ex-prisoners of war; psychiatric comorbidity

Hrčak ID:

290314

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/290314

Publication date:

3.11.2022.

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