PSYCHOLOGIC PROBLEMS OF CHILDREN WOUNDED DURING THE WAR IN CROATIA

During the war in Croatia, at least 1230 children were wounded. A samp le of 322 children was investigated for psychologic sequelae, using a structured interview, a measure of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTS D), and scrutiny of the relevant medical records The study was underta ken by general practitioners, supervised by a psychiatrist, a psycholo gist, and an orthopaedic surgeon. The findings showed that PTSD correl ated significantly with the degree of disability, social circumstances (displacement), and family situation (one or both parents killed). It is concluded that children with war-related injures should be followe d up regularly, especially to the end of adolescence, to prevent the d evelopment of mental disorders or further deterioration.