[Released Bosnian prisoners of war. High risk of posttraumatic symptoms]

Psychiatric reactions after traumatic experiences have been acknowledged during the last decades. 149 male survivors from "ethnic cleansing" camps in Bosnia during 1992 have been examined within two weeks from arriving to Sweden as refugees. They have an extremely traumatic background. 76 per cent have a history of physical abuse, 17 per cent systematical physical torture and 89 per cent psychic torture. We found few serious somatic problems. 36 per cent was recommended physical follow up by a general practitioner. 32 per cent was recommended a psychiatric contact in the community where they will stay permanently, because of high probability of developing symptoms of PTSD, post-traumatic stress disorders. The most important factor for their present well-being is if the family and other relatives are reunited and if they know what has happened to other members of their family. By early identification of high risk for developing PTSD and by focusing the general risk that everyone in this group faces to develop this symptomatology a relevant contact can be established before severe symptoms develop.