Psychological condition hormone levels in war trauma

Psychological and hormonal responses to various degrees of war-related traumatic experience were analysed in 91 subjects. Their psychological responses (psychosomatic, personality traits, etc.) were evaluated by the COR-NEX2 test. Based on test results, the subjects were classified into three groups: G1 = normal, G2 = moderate, and G3 = severe response. The distribution of subjects in the three groups was related to the intensity and duration of stress that they had been exposed to. Serum levels of cortisol, prolactin, beta-endorphin, thyroxin and triiodothyronine were analysed in all subjects. The levels of cortisol and prolactin were significantly decreased in subjects expressing a severe psychological response, while the level of prolactin correlated with COR-NEX2 test scores. Although relations to other intervening variables are to be investigated, our results indicated that endocrine changes, following trauma, were not random, but rather related to stress-induced psychological responses, and not to trauma per se.