Citation

Loncar M, Medved V, Jovanovic N, Hotujac L. Croat. Med. J. 2006; 47(1): 67-75.

Affiliation

Nikolina Jovanovic, Department of Psychiatry, Zagreb University Hospital Center, Kispaticeva, 12, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia, nikolina.jovanovic@gmail.com.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2006, University of Zagreb Medical School, Publisher Medicinska Naklada)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

16489699

PMCID

PMC2080379

Abstract

Aim. To explore the short- and long-term psychological consequences of rape on women victims of rape during the 1992-1995 war against Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Methods. The study included 68 women victims of rape and was conducted at the Medical Center for Human Rights, Zagreb, Croatia, from 1992 to 1995. Testimony method and a questionnaire were used to retrospectively obtain the description of rapes and symptoms women suffered immediately after rape and at the time of the study, ie, 11.9-/+2.4 after the trauma. Structured clinical interviews were conducted to diagnose psychiatric disorders that were present at the time of study, according to the third edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Results. The raped women were Croatian and Muslim (Bosniak) women, residents of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Forty-four of them were raped more than once, 21 were raped every day during their captivity, and 18 were forced to witness rapes. Most of the rapes (n=65) were accompanied by physical torture. The most frequent psychological symptoms felt immediately after the rape were depressiveness (n=58), avoidance of thoughts or conversations associated with the trauma (n=40), and suicidal ideas (n=25). Although none of the women had a psychiatric history before the rape, at the time of study 52 suffered from depression, 51 from social phobia, 21 from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and 17 had sexual dysfunctions. These disorders were often comorbid. Out of 29 women who got pregnant after rape, 17 had artificial abortion. The decision to have an abortion was strongly predicted by suicidal thoughts and impulses (odds ratio, 25.8; 95% confidence interval, 2.53-263.2). Conclusion. War-time rapes had deep immediate and long-term consequences on the mental health of women victims of rapes and their social and interpersonal functioning.