[Psychotherapeutic testimony be refugees from Bosnia-Herzegovina: a pilot study]

The authors wished to describe the need of the psychotherapy by the witnessing in the group of the adult refugees who have survived the genocide in B&H.

The subjects of the study were 20 refugees from B&H with the residence in Chicago, which gave the written assent for participation in the study of the psychotherapy by witnessing. All the participants were this method, what in the average were 6 sessions, the approximative duration 90 minutes, once a week or once in two weeks. The participants were tested by the application of the standardized instruments for PTSP, depression, traumatic events, the global functioning and the previous therapy, after the last seance and after 2 and 6 months.

The estimations done after the therapy showed significantly the decrease in the percentage of the diagnoses of PTSP (repeated living, escaping, increase arousing attention). The symptom of the depression have also significantly lower, and the estimation of the global functioning was significantly higher. To the testing after 2 and 6 months showed that the further significant decreasing of the symptoms and the significant increase of the functioning.

This pilot study offers the preliminary proves that psychotherapy by the witnessing of the symptoms of PTSP and also the depression as well as to the improvement of the functioning in the survived political and war violence.