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Croatian Medical Journal, Vol. 51 No. 2, 2010.

Original scientific paper

Impact of War Trauma and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder on Psychopathology in Croatian and German Patients with Severe Mental Illness

Nikolina Jovanović ; University of Zagreb, Medical School, University Hospital Center Zagreb, Department of Psychiatry, Zagreb, Croatia
Philipp Kuwert ; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt University Greifsawald, Greifsawald,Germany
Iris Sarajlić Vuković ; Dr. Ivan Barbot Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Popovača, Croatia
Daša Poredoš Lavor ; Dr. Ivan Barbot Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Popovača, Croatia
Vesna Medved ; University of Zagreb, Medical School, University Hospital Center Zagreb, Department of Psychiatry, Zagreb, Croatia
Marina Kovač ; Dr. Ivan Barbot Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Popovača, Croatia
Carsten Spitzer ; Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
Manuela Dudeck ; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt University Greifsawald, Greifsawald,Germany
Matthias Vogel ; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt University Greifsawald, Greifsawald,Germany
Harald J. Freyberger ; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt University Greifsawald, Greifsawald,Germany
Hans J. Grabe ; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt University Greifsawald, Greifsawald,Germany

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Abstract

Aim To explore posttraumatic stress symptoms and current
psychopathology in a binational sample of Croatian
and German participants with severe mental illness.
Methods We studied 178 inpatients from the Greifswald
University (German patients, n = 89) and University Hospital
Zagreb and Ivan Barbot Neuropsychiatric Hospital (Croatian
patients, n = 89) with either major depression (n = 150),
schizophrenia (n = 26), or bipolar disorder (n = 2). Measurements
included Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale and the
Symptom Check List-90-R. Participants were matched according
to age, sex, and diagnosis.
Results Croatians reported significantly more war traumatic
events (64/82 vs 5/74, χ2
1 = 77.142, P < 0.001) and significantly
more Croatians met the criteria for posttraumatic
stress disorder (55/89 vs 27/89, χ2
1 = 17.73, P < 0.001). They
also suffered from a higher level of psychopathological
distress as they scored significantly higher at all Symptom
Check List-90-R revised version subscales (P < 0.001). The
regression models demonstrated that predictors of general
psychopathological distress were war trauma (P < 0.001),
posttraumatic stress disorder (P < 0.001), and diagnosis
(P = 0.01).
Conclusion This is the first study comparing the impact
of war trauma on psychopathology of participants with
severe mental illness between two nations. Our results
clearly indicate the importance of trauma assessment in
subjects with severe mental illness, particularly in postconflict
settings

Keywords

trauma; war; posttraumatic stress disorder; Croatia; Germany

Hrčak ID:

53515

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/53515

Publication date:

15.4.2010.

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