The impact of traumatic experience on attitude towards future in refugee adolescents

Traumatic experience has overall far reaching consequences on personality. In particular, it has significant impact on teenagers that are just approaching the phase of solving their identity problems. This research examines the relation of traumatic experience and attitude towards the future in two groups of adolescents. The first group consists of 20 adolescents-refugees from the East Slavonia that were settled in Rijeka area with their parents during the last six years. The second group consists of 20 adolescent's local inhabitants that were influenced by the war only indirectly. Results show significant difference between refugees and non-refugees in expressed interpersonal trust, frustration tolerance, and formation of close contacts, adaptability, precaution, bitterness, and social desirability. Both groups show increased depression, pessimism and poor self-control. This might be considered as general characteristic of society in war.