The overall aim was to study the relationship between post-traumatic symptoms and cognitive abilities among traumatized refugees from the former Yugoslavia, in psychiatric treatment. The results showed that a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as a higher level of post-traumatic symptoms, was significantly associated with poorer average cognitive performance. Three of four tests of fluid intelligence, and the Benton Visual Retention Test, assessing episodic memory, were the most discriminating. A specific constellation of PTSD symptoms, dominated by arousal and intrusive symptoms, had a significant overall correlation with intellectual performance. One implication of the study is that assessment of cognitive abilities might be advisable in this patient group, in particular when arousal and re-experiencing symptoms are frequent.

Cognitive ability Post-traumatic stress disorders Harvard Trauma Questionnaire Refugees Former Yugoslavia

symptomatology refugee correlation analysis human Refugees middle aged intelligence test war controlled study Yugoslavia memory consolidation psychotherapy Sweden arousal Humans Neuropsychological Tests Cognition Disorders male female cognition Personality Inventory clinical article Psychometrics Article psychiatric treatment adult Retention (Psychology) posttraumatic stress disorder intellect Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic Intelligence