War related stress disorder among Bosnian and Croatian refugees

Objectives: To study the impact of the Serbian invasion on Bosnia Herzegovina. To test the null hypothesis suggesting no real difference in the suffering between the Bosnian and Croatian refugees. Design: A cross sectional two-stage random sampling technique. Two structured questionnaires and direct interviews. Settings: Greater Zagrib and Split areas of the republic of Croatia. Target population: All Bosnian and Croatian refugees who migrated to Zagrib and Split at the time of the study. Subjects: An equal matching number of randomly selected Bosnian and Croatian refugees. Criteria of inclusion: Arrived within 6 months of the invasion, Lived in Spit and Zagrib area in camps and dwellings provided by the Croatian government, aged 17-65 years. Main outcomes: Exposure to stress provoking events e.g. rape, attack during the migration, and suffering from injuries is about twice more among Bosnians than Croatians. Level of satisfaction regarding the living conditions is 50% less among the Bosnians. Depression and anxiety were found among both groups, although twice as predominant among Bosnians. Conclusion: Both sides of the conflict experienced war related stress disorders, Bosnians suffered more than Croatian refugees living in the same camps who immigrated at the same time from Bosnia Herzegovina. Recommendations: Immediate action is required to stop the continuous sufferings of civilians. Urgent preventive and therapeutic programs are required to counteract the stress reactions to this war.