[World War II and current care provision: impact of war-related trauma on present professional care situations]

This study represents the first empirical research into the impact of war-related trauma on present professional care situations in Germany.

A total of 105 professional caregivers from North Rhine-Westphalia were questioned in a standardized form about the impact of war-related trauma on the daily work.

Of the professional caregivers questioned 82%reported that they were already caring for a person suffering from post-war trauma and 77% stated that war-related trauma had an impact on the daily work. Altogether 63% reported that war-related trauma is highly significant for the daily work. The professional caregivers reported that there was often a lack of knowledge and awareness of the topic among colleagues.

The study showed that there is a need for increasing awareness and providing further staff education and training regarding the treatment of people suffering from (war-related) trauma in order to ensure adequate care for those concerned.