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PTSD prevalence among Polish World War II survivors
 
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1
SWPS Uniwersytet Humanistycznospołeczny, Warszawa
 
2
SWPS Uniwersytet Humanistycznospołeczny, Wydział Zamiejscowy we Wrocławiu
 
3
Trauma, Health, & Hazards Center, University of Colorado, CO, USA
 
4
Środowiskowy Dom Samopomocy Caritas DWP, Mińsk Mazowiecki
 
 
Submission date: 2015-08-21
 
 
Acceptance date: 2015-10-13
 
 
Publication date: 2016-10-31
 
 
Corresponding author
Maja Lis-Turlejska   

University of Social Sciences and Humanities Department of Psychology, ul.Chodakowska 19/31, 03-815 Warsaw, Polska
 
 
Psychiatr Pol 2016;50(5):923-934
 
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ABSTRACT
Objectives:
Over the past decade research has been published in several Western European countries on the prevalence of PTSD among World War II survivors, mostly civilians. Prevalence rates ranged from 1.9% to 10.8 %. The aim of the study was to measure the frequency of PTSD occurrence among Polish WWII survivors.

Methods:
Data from 96 persons: 59 women and 37 men, aged 70-96 were analyzed. All participants were born before 1945. They completed Polish adaptations of: Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale (PDS), Impact of Events Scale (IES), Beck’s Depression Inventory (BDI) and WWII trauma related questionnaire.

Results:
Prevalence rate of potential PTSD was 32,3% Mean values of both number and severity of symptoms of PTSD were significantly higher for respondents with at least one war related trauma comparing to the participants who did note relate any such trauma.

Conclusions:
Comparing to other studies on WWII related PTSD the prevalence rate of possible PTSD was very high. Looking for possible explanation of such results seems to be an important challenge.

eISSN:2391-5854
ISSN:0033-2674
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