A psychotraumatological survey of bereaved relatives of missing German soldiers from World War II

Objectives: Although the outbreak of World War II lies some 75 years in the past, suffering still occurs because of its psychosocial sequelae. This article investigates the extent to which the fate of having a relative who was a missing German soldier from World War II influences the emotional state of the bereaved. Methods: On behalf of the research group, 250 current search applicants by the Deutsche Dienststelle (WASt) were contacted and invited to participate in the survey; 89 persons answered the questionnaire sufficiently. The individual questionnaire consisted in part of the PTSS-10, the BSI-18, the Boundary-Ambiguity Scale, and a final part of the Complicated Grief questionnaire. Results: 3.6% of the participants presented significant posttraumatic symptoms, slightly above the national average. The BSI-18 is comparable with a comparison sample of nonclinical subjects. Interdependency between degrees of relationship and sex-specific response was observed in PTSS-10 and BSI-18. The internal consistency of the German version of the questionnaire after ambiguous loss events (Boundary Ambiguity Scale) could be proved. However, no participant in the survey fulfilled the criteria for Complicated Grief. Yet the degree of relationship proved to be a predictor of the pain of separation. Conclusions: The investigation showed that having a near relative gone missing in the war, particularly a father, may have a negative impact on the emotional state of bereaved family members. However, the still measurable effect is moderate in intensity, some 70 years after the war.