Context: The war in Kosovo had a direct impact on large numbers of civilians. A first mental health survey conducted in August 1999 in Kosovo showed substantive psychiatric morbidity associated with recent traumatic experiences. In this follow-up mental health survey done in June 2000, we reassessed mental health and social functioning and compared our results with those from the previous survey.
Outcome measures: We measured non specific psychiatric morbidity, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and social functioning using the General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28), the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire (HTQ), and the Medical Outcomes Study short-form 20 (MOS-20), respectively. Additional questions addressed feelings of hatred and a desire for revenge. Results: Twenty-five percent of respondents reported symptoms that met the Diagnostic Statistical Manual-IV (DSM-IV)criteria for PTSD as compared with 17.1% who reported symptoms in 1999. The total mean score of the General Health Questionnaire was 8.2 compared with a score of 11.1 in 1999. The mean score of social functioning of the MOS-20 improved to 69.8 as compared to 29.5 in 1999. Fifty four percent of men felt “extreme” hatred or “a lot” of hatred toward the Serbs, and 21% of men think that they will act on feelings of revenge. For women these figures were 67% and 27%, respectively. Conclusions: Mental health problems related to the recent war remain an important issue that must be addressed to return the Kosovo region to a stable and productive environment. However, social functioning appeared to have substantially improved 1 year after the end of the war.
Learning Objectives: To reassess the prevalence of mental health problems and the level of social functioning among Kosovar Albanians approximately one year after the end of the war
Keywords: Torture, War
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: National Center for Environmental Health, Environmental Hazards and Health Effects, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Institute for Mental Health and Recovery, Prishtina, Kosovo
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.