Torture and Long-Term Health Effects Among Lebanese Female Political Prisoners

• Published in: Journal of interpersonal violence Vol. 31; no. 3; pp. 500 - 514
• Main Authors: Ghaddar, Ali, Elsouri, Ghadier, Abboud, Zeinab
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.02.2016; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Cardiovascular disease; Cardiovascular diseases; Depressive Disorder - psychology; Disease; Female; Females; Health; Humans; Hygiene; Imprisonment; Lebanon; Morbidity; Political prisoners; Post traumatic stress disorder; Posttraumatic Stress Disorder; Prisoners; Prisoners - psychology; Rape; Retrospective Studies; Risk; Stress; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - etiology; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - psychology; Survivors - psychology; Survivors - statistics & numerical data; Torture; Torture - psychology; Torture - statistics & numerical data; Trauma; Women's Health - statistics & numerical data; Lebanon; PTSD; Torture; war; prison
• ISSN: 0886-2605; 1552-6518; 1552-6518
• DOI: 10.1177/0886260514555865

Lebanese prisoners during the Israeli occupation of Lebanon (1981-1999) were subject to regular torture. We examined the association between torture events and post-traumatic stress and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) among former women political prisoners. We conducted a retrospective survey and performed health check-ups among 108 former women prisoners. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was measured through the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS), and CVDs were assessed by physicians’ diagnoses. The study was conducted between September 2008 and March 2010. All 67 participants in the study reported having been subjected to a variety of torture events. The prevalence of PTSD was 28.4% and that of CVD was 16.42%, respectively. PTSD and CVD were more likely to occur among women who had had longer imprisonment periods, and PTSD specifically was associated with exposure to torture (beating: OR = 1.49; 95% CI [0.48, 4.27] and threatening by rape: OR = 1.43; 95% CI [0.82, 9.30]). CVD was associated with asphyxia with water (OR = 3.86; 95% CI [0.03, 2.28]). Devoutness decreased the risk of PTSD (OR = 0.24; 95% CI [0.08, 1.41]). Torture had adverse long-term effects on prisoners’ physiological and psychological health; devoutness played a significant protective role. This study highlights the importance of documenting torture events and identifying the indicators of associated morbidity among surviving political prisoners for the provision of additional resources to care.