The controlled study of torture victims. Epidemiological considerations and some future aspects

Sequelae to torture have only been described in recent years. Only few controlled and no longitudinal studies have been made. Such studies are encumbered with many difficulties. Torture victims included in documentary and scientific studies have been selected on several levels. Certain forms of exposure e.g. torture and exile, which often occur simultaneously, may cause identical clinical pictures. Thus, some of the health effects of torture may be concealed in controlled studies in which matching is very close. Small populations present a considerable risk of confounding. So far, only simple methods have been used to assess the health of torture victims quantitatively. The validity of these methods is not known. In the future, methods used for health assessment of torture victims should be evaluated. Longitudinal studies may disclose characteristics for victims with specific prognostic features and may thereby be helpful when setting priorities and choosing strategies for treatment.