Professional paper

Experiencing trauma during armed robbery: patient overview through drawing analysis

Davor Rak ; Dubrava Clinical Hospital, Psychiatry Clinics, Ministry of hralth Referential Center for Stress Caused Disorders, Psychotrauma Regional Center
Aldenita Matić ; Dubrava Clinical Hospital, Psychiatry Clinics, Ministry of health Referential Center for Stress Caused Disorders, Psychotrauma Regional Centar
Benedict Rak ; Faculty of Medicine, Zagreb University

Abstract

The drawing exclusively represents human activity, serves as a means of communication and supplements speaking and writing. The development of artistic form in all people took place in the same
manner corresponding to determined degrees of human development, and deviation from those standards may be evidence of psychic disorders.
During the year 2005, there were 30 armed post office robberies in Croatia. One of them had a particularly dramatic ending. It happened on December 6, 2005, in the Zagreb suburb of Botinec. After the robbery, both robbers were killed in a vigorous police pursuit. This work shows the results of treatment and diagnostic evaluation of three female clerks of the mentioned post office in a period of 6 months. All three examinees were treated as outpatients within the daily hospital. During the aforementioned period, they were
tested psychologically (at the beginning of the treatment and after 6 months) with EPQ; LASC-01; STA1 X-1, STA1 X-2, PIE and drawings according to WARTEGG, and CAPS DX tests.
Access to therapy progress follow up consisted of individual drawings where patients showed their experience of the robbery on three occasions (at the beginning, after three months and after six months).
Regardless of the fact that all three patients had been in the same place at the time of the robbery, the acquired results indicated essential differences in the emotional experience of the same event. In comparing the results and drawings, it was evident that there were differences with all three patients. Unfortunately, evaluation assisted by drawings is a very complex diagnostic instrument and this should be observed as the beginning of some other more extensive research on the role of drawings as means of assistance in therapy progress.

Keywords

drawing analysis; trauma; psychotherapy

Hrčak ID:

107296

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/107296

Publication date:

11.9.2013.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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