Original scientific paper

HOPELESSNESS, SUICIDALITY AND RELIGIOUS COPING IN CROATIAN WAR VETERANS WITH PTSD

Sanea Mihaljević ; Psychiatry Department, General Hospital Virovitica, Virovitica, Croatia
Branka Aukst-Margetić ; Department of Psychiatry, Clinical Hospital Center, Zagreb, Croatia
Bjanka Vuksan-Ćusa ; Department of Psychiatry, Clinical Hospital Center, Zagreb, Croatia
Elvira Koić ; Psychiatry Department, General Hospital Virovitica, Virovitica, Croatia
Milan Milošević ; Andrija Štampar, School of Public Health, Zagreb, Croatia

Abstract

Background: Hopelessness is a strong predictor of suicide which is closely associated with PTSD in war veterans. Previous
studies showed that if religious faith in war veterans was weakened it contributed to more extensive current use of mental health
services. War trauma experience can weaken religious faith as well as strengthen it. It partly depends on religious coping which can
be positive or negative.
Subjects and methods: In our work we present correlation between hopelessness (measured with Beck Hopelessness Scale) and
style of religious coping (positive or negative, measured with R-COPE) in 111 Croatian war veterans with PTSD and 39 healthy
volunteers.
Results: Veterans with PTSD were more hopeless than healthy volunteers, and had greater usage of negative religious coping. In
PTSD group, less hopeless veterans showed greater extent in use of positive religious coping strategies.
Conclusion: These findings suggest that experts treating male combat veterans with PTSD should inquire about religious coping
of the individual. Positive religious coping should be encouraged while negative religious coping should be addressed appropriately.

Keywords

hopelessness; religious coping; suicide; PTSD; veterans

Hrčak ID:

106238

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/106238

Publication date:

24.9.2012.

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