ADOLESCENT SURVIVORS OF ETHNIC CLEANSING - OBSERVATIONS ON THE FIRST YEAR IN AMERICA

Objective: To describe the psychiatric assessments and trauma testimon ies of 12 Bosnian adolescents newly resettled in America. Method: Twel ve Bosnian adolescents who experienced the massive psychic trauma of ' 'ethnic cleansing'' were assessed during the first year after their re settlement in the United States. Assessments consisted of systematic, trauma-focused, clinical interviews that included standard assessment scales of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression, as well as the opportunity to give testimony about their experiences. Results : PTSD was diagnosed in 25% of subjects and depressive disorders in 17 %. Reexperiencing cluster symptoms were present in 50%, avoidance clus ter symptoms in 31%, and hyperarousal cluster symptoms in 29%. Conclus ions: The relatively low rate of PTSD in this sample (in comparison wi th adult survivors of ''ethnic cleansing'' and with Cambodian adolesce nt survivors) may be attributable to normal prior development, time-li mited adversity, lack of physical or sexual traumas, rejoining nuclear families, or insufficient time for the development of delayed-onset P TSD. It may also be a reflection of the resiliency of adolescence.