Journal of Traumatic Stress
Volume 15, Issue 5, 2002, Pages 377-387

The relative contribution of war experiences and exile-related stressors to levels of psychological distress among Bosnian refugees (Article)

Miller K.E.* , Weine S.M. , Ramic A. , Brkic N. , Bjedic Z.D. , Smajkic A. , Boskailo E. , Worthington G.
  • a Department of Psychology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA, United States
  • b Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
  • c Bosnian and Refugee Mental Health Programs, Chicago, IL, United States
  • d Bosnian and Refugee Mental Health Programs, Chicago, IL, United States
  • e Bosnian and Refugee Mental Health Programs, Chicago, IL, United States
  • f Bosnian and Refugee Mental Health Programs, Chicago, IL, United States
  • g Bosnian and Refugee Mental Health Programs, Chicago, IL, United States
  • h Chicago School of Professional Psychology, Chicago, IL, United States

Abstract

This study examined the relative contribution of 2 exile-related variables - social isolation and daily activity level - and war experiences of violence and loss, to levels of PTSD and depressive symptomatology in 2 groups of Bosnian refugees, 1 clinical group (N = 59) and the other a nonclinical community (N = 40) group. As hypothesized, exposure to war-related violence was highly predictive of PTSD symptoms in both groups; in addition, social isolation was significantly related to PTSD symptomatology in the community group. In contrast, depressive symptomatology was accounted for primarily by the exile-related stressors. For the clinical group, depressive symptoms were also accounted for by experiences of war-related loss. The implications of these findings for mental health interventions with refugees are considered.

Author Keywords

War Exile Distress

Index Keywords

symptomatology depression refugee Follow-Up Studies mental health human social isolation Refugees daily life activity middle aged war violence Activities of Daily Living controlled study mental stress Bosnia and Herzegovina hypothesis United States Bosnia-Herzegovina Humans male female Article experience Questionnaires adult posttraumatic stress disorder distress syndrome Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic normal human
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-0036792513&doi=10.1023%2fA%3a1020181124118&partnerID=40&md5=015772c7acaa4373b0df58f9f3fa4ef6
DOI: 10.1023/A:1020181124118
ISSN: 08949867
Cited by: 110
Original Language: English