[A study of post-traumatic stress reactions among war refugees based on medical records. A standard model may support the treatment]

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.