Lakartidningen
Volume 93, Issue 47, 1996, Pages 4285-4294

Case record study of post-traumatic stress disorder among refugees; A standardised case record format might aid treatment [Journalstudie av krigsflyktingars posttraumatiska stressreaktioner: Standardmall kan ge stöd I behandlingen] (Article)

Apitzsch H. , Eriksson N.-G. , Jakobsson S.W. , Lindgren L. , Lundin T. , Movschenson P. , Sandberg P. , Sundqvist G.*
  • a Centrum för Tortyroch Traumaskadade, Karolinska Sjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden
  • b Bosnienprojektet, Karolinska Sjukhuset, Kronans Psykiatriska Öppenvårdsmottagning, Sundbyberg, Sweden
  • c Centrum för Tortyr- och Traumaskadade, Karolinska Sjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden
  • d Röda Korsets Center för Torterade Flyktingar, Stockholm, Sweden
  • e Bosnienprojektet, Karolinska Sjukhuset, Kronans Psykiatriska Öppenvårdsmottagning, Sundbyberg, Sweden
  • f Röda Korsets Center för Torterade Flyktingar, Stockholm, Sweden
  • g Bosnienprojektet, Karolinska Sjukhuset, Kronans Psykiatriska Öppenvårdsmottagning, Sundbyberg, Sweden
  • h Bosnienprojektet, Karolinska Sjukhuset, Kronans Psykiatriska Öppenvårdsmottagning, Sundbyberg, Sweden, Kronan Psychiatric Clinic, Box 1366, S-172 27 Sundbyberg, Sweden

Abstract

A special project designed to aid Bosnian refugees in Stockholm County was initiated and funded by the County Council in February 1994. The present study, a joint endeavour involving the Bosnian Project, the Centre for Trauma and Torture Diagnostics, and the Red Cross Centre for torture victims, was designed to fulfil the following aims: • To characterise the patient population in terms of social situation, trauma history, symptoms and treatment; • To review accumulated experience at the three centres; • To outline and discuss the treatment; and • To suggest new avenues for further research concerning refugees and trauma. To obtain comparable material for this retrospective review of case records at the three centres, a special case chart format was adopted, covering pre-war and pre-treatment information on general background, social situation, health status and medication, as well as trauma history, symptoms and treatment. Most patients reported good pre-war health, but at the time of the study exhibited manifest effects of trauma history; 95 per cent reported mental problems, and 39 per cent medical disease or physical disorders. These refugees were thus characterised by manifest post-traumatic stress symptoms and need of treatment. Despite their relatively short time in Sweden, almost all had permanent residence permits and fixed addresses. The absence of a comparable control group precluded comparison with other refugee or normal populations. The findings suggest the need of co-ordination and co-operation between the special facilities available to refugees, and of a standardised format for case records.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

refugee psychological aspect human Refugees war comparative study Bosnia and Herzegovina ethnology Bosnia-Herzegovina Sweden Humans Medical Records male female Socioeconomic Factors medical record socioeconomics Article adult posttraumatic stress disorder Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic Torture
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-17044442781&partnerID=40&md5=90bdbb1ce6d3bce555af28fda2a1f89d
ISSN: 00237205
Original Language: Swedish