[Diagnostic and therapeutic guidelines for posttraumatic stress disorders]

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) presents an important medical and social problem in the Republic of Croatia with prevalence of 10-30% depending on the population. On the basis of our 8-year clinical experience in treating PTSD and detailed analysis of related literature a special team of the Department of Psychological Medicine, Zagreb University Hospital, compiled the proposed guidelines for diagnostics and treatment of PTSD. The established guidelines are independently developed, clinically proven at our Clinic and in terms of custom made procedure world wide unique. Their essential feature is psychoanalytic comprehension and approach to etiopathogenesis of PTSD, although it also applies to other psychotherapeutic techniques (cognitive-behavioral, relaxation, existential). The diagnostic model is based upon structured clinical interview (DSM-IV, ICD-10), but it also complies with the principles of psychotherapeutic interview. Therapeutic interventions as proposed are divided according to therapeutic goal into symptomatic and etiological.