Cognitive abilities related to post-traumatic symptoms among refugees from the former Yugoslavia in psychiatric treatment

• Published in: Nordic journal of psychiatry Vol. 57; no. 3; pp. 191 - 198
• Main Authors: Kivling-Bodén, Gunilla, Sundbom, Elisabet
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Informa UK Ltd 2003; Taylor & Francis
• Subjects: Adult; Arousal; Cognition Disorders - diagnosis; Cognition Disorders - psychology; Cognition Disorders - therapy; Cognitive ability; Female; flyktninger; Former Yugoslavia; Harvard Trauma Questionnaire; Humans; Intelligence; kognitive funksjoner; Male; Middle Aged; Neuropsychological Tests - statistics & numerical data; Personality Inventory - statistics & numerical data; Post-traumatic stress disorder; posttraumatisk stresslidelse; Psychometrics; Psychotherapy; Refugees; Refugees - psychology; Retention (Psychology); Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - diagnosis; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - psychology; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - therapy; Sweden; Warfare; Yugoslavia - ethnology; Sweden; Yugoslavia
• ISSN: 0803-9488; 1502-4725
• DOI: 10.1080/08039480310001346

The overall aim was to study the relationship between post-traumatic symptoms and cognitive abilities among traumatized refugees from the former Yugoslavia, in psychiatric treatment. The results showed that a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as a higher level of post-traumatic symptoms, was significantly associated with poorer average cognitive performance. Three of four tests of fluid intelligence, and the Benton Visual Retention Test, assessing episodic memory, were the most discriminating. A specific constellation of PTSD symptoms, dominated by arousal and intrusive symptoms, had a significant overall correlation with intellectual performance. One implication of the study is that assessment of cognitive abilities might be advisable in this patient group, in particular when arousal and re-experiencing symptoms are frequent.