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Trauma and post-traumatic stress symptoms in former German child soldiers of World War II

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 March 2008

Philipp Kuwert ,
Carsten Spitzer ,
Jenny Rosenthal  and
Harald J. Freyberger
Philipp Kuwert*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt University Greifswald, Germany
Carsten Spitzer
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt University Greifswald, Germany
Jenny Rosenthal
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt University Greifswald, Germany
Harald J. Freyberger
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt University Greifswald, Germany
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Dr. Philipp Kuwert, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt University Greifswald, Rostocker Chaussee 70, D-18437 Stralsund, Germany. Phone: +49 3831 452158; Fax +49 3831 452185. Email: kuwert@uni-greifswald.de.
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Abstract

Background: The aim of the study was to determine the amount of trauma impact and significant post-traumatic stress symptoms, which can indicate a possible post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), in a sample of former German child soldiers of World War II.

Methods: 103 participants were recruited through the press, then administered a modified Post-traumatic Diagnostic Scale (PDS).

Results: Subjects reported a high degree of trauma exposure, with 4.9% reporting significant post-traumatic stress symptoms after WW II, and 1.9% reporting that these symptoms persist to the present.

Conclusion: In line with other studies on child soldiers in actual conflict settings, our data document a high degree of trauma exposure during war. Surprisingly, the prevalence of significant post-traumatic stress symptoms indicating a possible PTSD was low compared to other groups of aging, long-term survivors of war trauma. Despite some limitations our data highlight the need for further studies to identify resilience and coping factors in traumatized child soldiers.

Keywords

child soldierswar traumapost-traumatic stress disorderPDS
Type
Research Article
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , Volume 20 , Issue 5 , October 2008 , pp. 1014 - 1018
Copyright
Copyright © International Psychogeriatric Association 2008

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