Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.5559/di.20.4.09
WAR VETERANS' QUALITY OF LIFE: THE IMPACT OF LIFETIME TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCES, PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH-RELATED CHARACTERISTICS
Vesna ANTIČEVIĆ
orcid.org/0000-0002-1552-0952
; Split University Hospital and School of Medicine, Split
Goran KARDUM
; Faculty of Philosophy, Split
Dolores BRITVIĆ
; Split University Hospital and School of Medicine, Split
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cross-sectional
differences in self-reported psychological symptoms, life-time
exposure to traumatic events, coping styles, personality traits and
overall quality of life between the PTSD and non-PTSD Croatian
War veterans. A total of 113 subjects within the three groups
participated in the study (veterans with PTSD, non-PTSD veterans
and controls). Veterans with PTSD assessed both combat
experiences and exposure to other life-time traumatic events as
extremely stressful, much more so than veterans without PTSD or
control subjects. Scores among the non-PTSD veterans were
similar to the control subjects, except on the M-PTSD scale, scale
of psychosomatic symptoms and coping by avoidance. Intensity
of PTSD, extraversion and active coping were individually
significant in explaining the total QoL (p<0.01). This study
showed that veterans with PTSD became extremely vulnerable to
lifetime stress events.
Keywords
PTSD; personality; quality of life
Hrčak ID:
75858
URI
Publication date:
31.12.2011.
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