The effects of trauma among kidnap victims in Sardinia, Italy

Background, No study to date has investigated the effects' of the trauma of being kidnapped for ransom Tn the present study, we aimed to assess the ge neral health status and the presence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD ) and major depression (MDD) in a sample of kidnap victims. We also focused attention on dissociative experiences and on the development of the Stockh olm syndrome during captivity. Methods. We investigated the traumatic experiences: anti reported general h ealth status of 24 kidnap victims using a semistructured interview. The Str uctured Clinical-Interview for DSM-IV was used to assess the presence of PT SD and MDD. The Dissociative Experiences Scale was also administered. Results. The lifetime frequency of PTSD and MDD were 45.9 % and 37.5% respe ctively. The Stockholm syndrome had:been present in 50 % of the sample-duri ng captivity. The presence of PTSD can be predicted by the number of violen t experiences, whereas the number of humiliating or deprivation experiences predicts the development of the Stockholm syndrome. Subjects with both PTS D;and the Stockholm syndrome reported a greater number of physical complain ts at the interview. Conclusions. There is no significant connection between PTSD and the Stockh olm syndrome. Both are indices of the severity of the trauma of being kidna pped, but they are associated with different aspects of the traumatic exper ience. The presence of both syndromes appears to have a detrimental effect on physical health.