engleski

Study of long-term clinical and social outcomes after war experiences in ex-Yugoslavia – methods of the „ Connect“ project

The CONNECT study investigates long-term clinical and social outcomes of people with war experiences in countries of Ex-Yugoslavia and in refugees in Western Europe, and aims to identify the impact of social and health care interventions on these outcomes. This article describes the rationale and methods of the CONNECT study (full title: Components, organizations, costs and outcomes of health care and social interventions for people with posttraumatic stress following war and conflict in the Balkans) and the study protocol as developed in collaboration of eight centres in the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Serbia and Montenegro, Croatia, Bosnia Herzegovina, and FYR Macedonia. In each country a survey will be conducted in community populations with a high risk to have experienced potentially traumatic events (N=640 in each country in Ex-Yugoslavia and 250 in each Western European country). Current social and clinical characteristics will be obtained, and social and health care interventions received in the past will be assessed. Moreover, a total sample of 900 people with persistent symptoms of posttraumatic stress will be identified and followed-up over a one year period. This large scale project aims to provide evidence on the relative impact of social and health care interventions on long-term sequelae of war related traumatic events, and puts particular emphasis on people with persistent symptoms fo posttraumatic stress. The results should help to develop models to predict long-term service needs in future populations that experience traumatic events and either take refuge in other countries of stay in the area of conflict.

Posttraumatic stress; social interventions after war; war-related trauma

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