Short communication, Note

PERSONAL SPACE OF WAR VETERANS WITH PTSD – SOME CHARACTERISTICS AND COMPARISON WITH HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS

Anamarija Bogović ; Psychiatric Hospital ‘’Sveti Ivan’’, Zagreb, Croatia, Department of Psychology, Catholic University of Croatia, Zagreb, Croatia
Ena Ivezić ; Psychiatric Hospital ‘’Sveti Ivan’’, Zagreb, Croatia
Igor Filipčić ; Psychiatric Hospital ‘’Sveti Ivan’’, Zagreb, Croatia, Faculty of Medicine, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia

Abstract

Background: The aim of this study was to determine the size of personal space among war veterans with PTSD, compared to
healthy individuals, and to examine its associations with some sociodemographic and clinical characteristics.
Subjects and Methods: Participants were 83 male war veterans with chronic PTSD and 85 healthy male employees of the
medical institutions. Preferred interpersonal distances were assessed by using a stop-distance technique, where male and female
research assistants approached the participants from four directions (front, behind, left, right). The patients filled out The
Mississippi Scale for Combat-Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (M-PTSD).
Results: War veterans with PTSD preferred significantly larger interpersonal distances compared to healthy participants. Larger
personal space size was preferred by those who had children, and the largest preferred distances were observed for the approaches
from behind. Both samples preferred larger distances when approached by a male person.
Conclusion: The findings of this study contribute to increased understanding of the personal space in patients with PTSD, and
may be implemented into prevention of aggressive behavior during psychiatric treatment, and into development of more effective
therapeutic strategies.

Keywords

war veterans – PTSD - personal space - stop-distance technique

Hrčak ID:

154763

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/154763

Publication date:

29.3.2016.

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