Citation

Başoğlu M, Ozmen E, Sahin D, Paker M, Taşdemir O, Ceyhanli A, Incesu C, Sarimurat N. J. Abnorm. Psychol. 1996; 105(2): 232-236.

Affiliation

Institute of Psychiatry, University of London, England.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1996, American Psychological Association)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

8723004

Abstract

This study examined appraisal of self and others, as measured by semantic differential ratings of Police, State, Society, Family, Friend, Myself as a Man/Woman, and Myself as a Political Person, in 55 tortured political activists in Turkey, 55 nontortured political activists, and 55 nontortured, politically noninvolved controls. There were no remarkable differences between tortured and nontortured political activists; both groups differed from controls in having a more negative appraisal of the police and the state and stronger perceptions of danger, mistrust, and injustice in relation to state authority. Lack of beliefs concerning a "benevolent state" may have protected the survivors from the traumatic effects of state-perpetrated torture. Further research into the possible protective role of belief systems in posttraumatic stress disorder is needed.

Language: en