Vracare: Village wise women, reproductive health, and Yugoslavia's early socialist modernisation project.

This historical article examines post-WWII Yugoslavia and the state's campaigns to modernise and unify the extensive Yugoslav peasantry, and draws comparisons with other countries from the Communist Bloc. It argues that even though Yugoslavia ostensibly set out to create a new 'Yugoslav way' that was dissimilar to Soviet socialism, its tactics and underlying motivations were very similar to those of the Soviet modernisation projects. The article analyses the evolving concept of the vracara (elder women folk healers) as a vehicle for the state's modernising mission. Just as Soviet babki represented a threat to the new 'social order' in Russia, vracare were the targets of the Yugoslav state's anti-folk-medicine propaganda. It also argues that reproductive health provided a moment in the lifecycle when the state attempted to bind women to its services. The first part of the article deals with the bureaucratic push to disempower village wise women using propaganda campaigns and the introduction of medical facilities in remote communities. Even though the medicalization process ultimately failed to fully establish science-based medical services in all areas of the Yugoslav Republic, the negative image of the old crone healer endured well beyond the first post-war decade. The second half of the article examines the gendered stereotype of the old crone and how she became a stand-in for everything backward and undesirable relative to modern medicine.

Homage to Dr med. Bozidar Kostic.

Dr Bozidar Kostic (1892-1960) - physician of noble heart - was born in Nis (Kingdom of Serbia) in a distinguished family of academically educated parents. As there were no medical faculties in Kingdom of Serbia, after high school, which he had finished with great success, in 1911 he enrolled at the Graz University of Medicine, a prestigious medical university. Soon he transferred to the Faculty of Medicine at Charles University in Prague, where he continued his studying for another ten semesters. In Prague, The Golden City, after the First World War, he finished his studies with an average grade of 10. After the Second World War, he worked as a doctor with a private medical practice in Belgrade, but soon he moved to Vranje, where he established the Town Polyclinic and contributed to the final flourishing of the most important forms of health care activities in liberated Vranje, donating his rich knowledge and skills, which led the health service to move to forms of independent work and development of new activities. For his contribution to the community, by decree of His Majesty King of Yugoslavia Alexander I Karadordevic, he received the Order of Saint Sava. Dr Bozidar Kostic and his wife Pravda devoted their lives to the health and educational upbringing of the people in the south parts of Serbia (then Social Federative Republic of Yugoslavia). Until his last days he lived and worked as a true folk doctor.

BADGES/PINS OF NURSING AND MIDWIFERY SCHOOLS IN SLOVENIA FROM 1925 UNTIL EARLY 1980s.

INTRODUCTION: Many nursing and midwifery schools in many countries around the world awarded or still award graduation badges or pins to their graduates. All graduates from different parts of the former Kingdom of Yugoslavia and later the Republic of Yugoslavia educated in Slovenian healthcare schools received badges from these schools. Some of the graduates later employed in medical institutions across former Yugoslavia wore these badges on their uniforms. The main purpose of this historical research was to establish which Slovenian health care schools awarded the graduation badges and what they looked like. It was also investigated why the badges ceased to be awarded and what motivated Angela Boskin Faculty of Health Care in Jesenice to reintroduce awarding the badges. METHODS: Due to a lack of written sources, we conducted 393 face to face and telephonic interviews with former badge recipients across Slovenia. Their existing badges were photographed. On the authors' initiative, a private collection of badges was started. RESULTS: It has been established that in the 20th century all Slovenian secondary health schools awarded badges. The Nursing College, Ljubljana also awarded graduation badges. Five different types of badges in many variants were issued. The first badges were awarded to graduates by Slovenian oldest Nursing School, Ljubljana in 1925. The badges ceased to be awarded in the late 1970s and the early 1980s. Some questions about probable reasons for cessation of awarding badges remain unanswered. Less than a fifth of interviewees kept their badges. Graduating nursing badges were reintroduced in Slovenia in 2017 with a new badge which is presented and depicted in this article. The motivation for the reintroduction of graduating badges is also investigated. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Unfortunately, many Slovenian nurses and midwives are not sufficiently aware of the meaning and importance of their badges. Although badges are important for professional image and identity of nurses, badges as a symbol of nursing have become almost completely forgotten. Graduation badges are miniature works of art and are proof of the existence and development of Slovenian healthcare schools. Nursing badges present a part of nursing history as well as being our cultural heritage. The badges deserve to be written and talked about and should be displayed in a planned future Slovenian Health Care Museum.

CHRONICLE OF THE "ANGLO-YUGOSLAV CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL" IN SREMSKA KAMENICA.

As a peacetime work of Katherine S. Macphail (Glasgow, 1887- St.Andrews, 1974) MB ChB (Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery), the Anglo-Serbian Children's Hospital in Belgrade was established after World War I, and the English-Yugoslav Children's Hospital for Treatment of Osteoarticular Tuberculosis was founded in Sremska Kamenica in 1934. Situated on the Fruska Gora slope, the hospital-sanatorium was a well-equipped medical institution with an operating theatre and x-ray machine providing very advanced therapy, comparable to those in Switzerland and England: aero and heliotherapy, good quality nourishment, etc. In addition, school lessons were organized as well as several types of handwork as the work-therapy. It was a privately owned hospital but almost all the children were treated free of cost. The age for admission was up to 14. During the period from 1934 to 1937, around 458 children underwent hospital treatment, most of them with successful results. During the war years the Sanatorium was closed but after the war it was reactivated. In 1948 by the act of final nationalization of all medical institutions in the communist Yugoslavia, the hospital was transformed into a ward of orthopedic surgery under the supervision of the referent departments in Belgrade and Novi Sad. Today, hospital is out of work and deprived of its humanitarian mission. The building is neglected and in ruins although it has been proclaimed the national treasure by the Regional Institute for Protection of Monuments of Culture.

Environmental radioactivity in southern Serbia at locations where depleted uranium was used.

In the 1999 bombing of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, NATO forces used ammunition containing depleted uranium. The cleaning of depleted uranium that followed was performed in southern Serbia by the Vinca Institute of Nuclear Sciences between 2002 and 2007 at the locations of Pljackovica, Borovac, Bratoselce, and Reljan. This paper presents detailed results of radioactivity monitoring four years after cleaning (2011), which included the determination of gamma emitters in soil, water, and plant samples, as well as gross alpha and beta activities in water samples. The gamma spectrometry results showed the presence of natural radionuclides 226Ra, 232Th, 40K, 235U, 238U, and the produced radionuclide 137Cs (from the Chernobyl accident). In order to evaluate the radiological hazard from soil, the radium equivalent activity, the gamma dose rate, the external hazard index, and the annual effective dose were calculated. Considering that a significant number of people inhabit the studied locations, the periodical monitoring of radionuclide content is vital.

Effects of treatment adherence on clinical and economic outcomes in patients with psoriasis.

AIM: To compare clinical and cost outcomes of psoriasis in non-biological treatment of adherent and non-adherent patients in a developing Balkans country going through socio-economic transition. METHODS: The study was designed as a retrospective cohort study involving patients with psoriasis adherent and non-adherent to the prescribed treatment regimen. The patients were followed for a period of one year, through four visits with intervals of three months. The adherence to the prescribed regimen was measured at the end of the follow-up period by the medication possession ratio. Clinical outcomes of the treatment were estimated by the Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) at each visit and the treatment costs were collected from patients' files at each visit. RESULTS: The study enrolled 108 patients, 61 (56.5%) were adherent to the prescribed treatment, and 47 (43.5%) were non-adherent. A signiicant decrease of PASI score was noted in the patients adherent to prescribed therapy (p < 0.001). The costs also decreased significantly in the group of adherent patients (p=0.001), and the drop of costs was the highest from the visit 3. The decrease in PASI score and costs were less rapid in non-adherent patients. CONCLUSION: Better treatment adherence leads to faster clinical improvement and a more rapid decrease in costs of treatment, which diminish overall expenditure of the health system and society, leaving room for treatment of other diseases more efficiently. Therefore, health systems of developing countries should support additional research of causes of treatment non-adherence in patients with psoriasis, in order to minimize this fenomenon more efficiently, and make significant savings.

Medical ethnobotany of the Albanian Alps in Kosovo.

BACKGROUND: Ethnobotanical studies are crucial in South-Eastern Europe for fostering local development and also for investigating the dynamics of Traditional Environmental Knowledge (TEK) related to plants in one of the most crucial European hotspots for biocultural diversity. The current medico-ethnobotanical survey was conducted in rural alpine communities in Kosovo. The aims of the study were twofold: 1) to document the state of TEK of medicinal plants in these communities; 2) to compare these findings with that of similar field studies previously conducted among local populations inhabiting the Montenegrin and Albanian side of the same Alpine range. METHODS: Field research was conducted in 36 villages on the Kosovar side of the Albanian Alps. Snowball sampling techniques were used to recruit 91 elderly informants (≥ 50 years-old) for participation in semi-structured interviews and structured surveys regarding the use of the local flora for medicinal and food purposes. Standard ethnobotanical methods were employed and prior informed consent was obtained for all study participants. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The uses of 98 plants species belonging to 39 families were recorded; the most quoted botanical families were Rosaceae, Asteraceae, and Lamiaceae. Mainly decoctions and infusions were quoted as folk medicinal preparations and the most common uses referred to gastrointestinal and respiratory disorders, as well as illnesses of the uro-genital system. Among the most uncommon medicinal taxa quoted by the informants, Carduus nutans L., Echinops bannaticus Rochel ex Schrad., and Orlaya grandiflora Hoffm. may merit phytochemical and phytopharmacological investigations.Comparison of the data with other ethnobotanical field studies recently conducted on the Albanian and Montenegrin sides of the same Alps has shown a remarkable link between the medical ethnobotany of Montenegrin and Kosovar side of the Albanian Alps. Moreover, folk uses of the most quoted wild medicinal taxa recorded in Kosovo often include those recorded both in Albania and in Montenegro, thus suggesting a hybrid character of the Kosovar local plant knowledge. This may be also explained with the fact that Montenegro and Kosovo, despite their differences in the ethnic composition, have shared a common history during the last Century.

[Cancer incidence in the military: an update]. / Condizione militare e morbosità per cancro: il punto della situazione.

An abnormally elevated rate of Hodgkin's lymphoma was reported in 2001 among Italian soldiers in Bosnia and Kosovo since 1995: a surveillance system was therefore set up for the military community. Preliminary results for a longer period (1996-2007) have shown incidence rates lower than expected for all malignancies. No significant difference was registered between observed and expected cases of Hodkin's lymphoma: the excess of reported cases for this malignancy in 2001-2002 was probably due to a peak occurred in 2000 among the whole military; it is therefore unrelated to deployment in the Balkans, and probably represents a chance event. Moreover, a significant excess of thyroid cancer was reported among the whole military.The estimated number of incident cases, including those missed by the surveillance system, was not significantly higher than expected for all cancers; conversely, the estimated incidence rate of thyroid cancer was significantly increased; this excess, however, is probably due to a selection bias.These data concerning cancer surveillance in the Italian military are consistent with lacking evidence of an increased cancer incidence among troops of other countries deployed in the areas of Iraq, Bosnia, and Kosovo, where armour penetrating depleted uranium shells have been used. However, a comprehensive assessment of cancer morbidity in the military requires a revision of the privacy regulations, in order to link individual records of military personnel and data bases of the National Health Service.

Variability of essential oils of Betonica officinalis (Lamiaceae) from different wild populations in Kosovo.

The aerial parts and roots of Betonica officinalis were collected from three localities characterized by different ecological conditions to study the natural variability of the chemical composition of the essential oils in this plant. The leaves and inflorescences were collected during the flowering time, whereas the roots were collected at the end of the vegetative period. The plant material was dried at room temperature. The essential oils were obtained by micro-steam hydrodistillation and analyzed using gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Overall, 69 constituents were identified in all localities and plant parts. The main compositions of the leaves in all localities were alpha-pinene, 1-octen-3-ol, beta-bourbonene, (E)-caryophyllene and germacrene D. The essential oil of the inflorescences was characterized by these main constituents: alpha-pinene, (E)-caryophyllene and trans-beta-farnesene. In all localities, the percentages of alpha-pinene and (E)-caryophyllene were higher in the inflorescences than in the leaves, whereas nonane was the main constituent in the roots.

Developing and validating scenarios to compare midwives' knowledge and skills with the International Confederation of Midwives' essential competencies in four European countries.

AIM: To develop, pilot and validate a number of scenarios which encompass all of the International Confederation of Midwives' (ICM) competency statements and which are of relevance in various European countries, both those in the European Union and those which might become members in the future. DESIGN: 27 Scenarios designed to encompass all ICM competencies were tested using qualitative interviews. SETTING: Slovenia, Germany, Scotland, Kosovo. PARTICIPANTS: 68 Experienced midwives from Slovenia, 58 from Germany, 63 from Scotland and 76 from Kosovo. FINDINGS: Although midwives found it difficult to relate to the scenarios dealing with pre-conception competencies, after revision, all scenarios were appropriate for use in all four countries. KEY CONCLUSIONS: The scenarios embrace all of the ICM's essential competencies for midwives in each of the countries involved. Additionally, they have face validity as shown by the spread of responses to each of the scenarios. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The scenarios may be used with confidence by experienced midwives in each of the areas involved. It is also possible that the scenarios can be used for education and assessment purposes. By considering the European perspective of the project, they also offer the potential to support the mobility of midwives moving between countries within Europe by assessing competence with regard to local practices in the new situation.

Monitoring for exposures to TENORM sources in Vojvodina region.

TENORM are found in a wide variety of waste materials, some raw mineral ores and in some consumer products (in trace amounts) where molecules of radionuclides may be bound to specific minerals used in the manufacturing process and can result in increases in radiation exposures to workers and the public. The aim of this paper is to understand this problem and to develop effective ways to protect humans and the environment from harmful exposure to the radiation in TENORM materials in the Vojvodina region. The results of measurement of indoor radon concentration in schools and kindergartens and dose-rate and gamma-spectrometry measurements of the workplace with TENORM materials are presented.

Uranium isotopes in the Balkan's environment and foods following the use of depleted uranium in the war.

Immediately after the Balkan's war in 1999, there has been widespread international concern about the environmental contamination with depleted uranium (DU) from ammunitions used in the conflict. Exposure of military staff and local populations to uranium metal and to its ionizing radiation were feared as potential causes for leukemia and other diseases in that region. In January 2001 a scientific mission was carried out by Portugal to evaluate those issues. A large number of environmental and food samples collected in Kosovo and Bosnia-Herzegovina, such as soils, water, aerosols, vegetables, bread, and meat were analyzed by radiochemistry and alpha spectrometry. Results of the analyses for total uranium and individual uranium isotopes are presented. Uranium in agriculture soils in Kosovo and Bosnia-Herzegovina averaged 1.8+/-0.8mgkg(-)(1) and 3+/-1mgkg(-)(1), while concentrations in drinking water from public supplies averaged 0.5+/-0.2microgL(-)(1) and 0.4+/-0.3microgL(-)(1), respectively. Results on soils indicated also that environmental contamination by DU was much localized and confined to the areas of ammunition impact. Concentrations of uranium in most of the environmental and food samples were comparable to concentrations of uranium measured in other European regions, such as Portugal and United Kingdom, and uranium isotopic ratios were in general compatible with isotopic ratios typical of natural uranium. However, a few samples displayed modified uranium isotopic ratios and could have been contaminated by DU. Implications of DU in radiation exposure of the population and in environmental contamination are discussed.

Antioxidant and scavenging capacity of Anacamptis pyrimidalis L.--pyrimidal orchid from Vojvodina.

In the present study we investigated the antioxidative properties of flowers and aboveground part of Anacamptis pyrimidalis L. from Vojvodina. Activities of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase, and glutathione peroxidase), quantities of malonyldialdehyde, superoxide and hydroxyl radicals and reduced glutathione and also the contents of chlorophylls a and b, carotenoids and soluble proteins were determined. Lipofuscin 'plant age pigments', total antioxidant capacity and scavenging activity were also determined. Our results indicated that the aboveground part of the plant exhibited higher antioxidant activity due to low MDA and lipofuscin pigment accumulation (2.82 nmol/mg protein; 92.90%), higher scavenging activity (54.16%) and antioxidant capacity (432.00 micromol Fe(2+)/dm(3)).

[The choice of antimicrobial therapy by application of pharmacoeconomic principles in view of the most frequently isolated pathogens at the Clinic for Infectious Diseases of the Clinical Center of Vojvodina].

The research on the use of pharmaco-therapeutic/pharmacoeconomic guidelines in therapy of bacterial infections was carried out in all patients hospitalized at the Clinic for Infectious Diseases of the Clinical Center of Vojvodina in a three-month period. The overall antibiotic utilization in therapy of bacterial infections was determined. The total cost of all administered antibiotics was calculated as well as the defined daily dose/100 patient-days. The structure of bacterial causes and their resistance to standard antimicrobial therapy was established for all isolated strains. The results of bacterial resistance surveillance were the basis to lay down the guidelines for initial adequate antimicrobial therapy (according to the site of infection and pathogen), in view of resistance maps for bacterial strains isolated from the tested materials. The guidelines for choosing appropriate antibiotic therapy were based on pharmaco-therapeutic/pharmacoeconomic principles, taking into account the state of bacterial resistance, drug administration schedule, and lowest therapy cost. During the implementation of guidelines for appropriate initial antimicrobial therapy, large therapy cost savings of 1.275.576.9 dinars (33.9%.) were recorded, compared to the period before the implementation of the guidelines.

Contemporary treatments for psychological trauma from the perspective of peacekeepers.

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to examine contemporary treatment approaches for psychological trauma from the perspective ofpeacekeepers. Data were collected via audiotaped interviews with 10 contemporary peacekeepers who had been deployed to Somalia, Rwanda, or the formerYugoslavia. The participants were asked to describe their experience with various treatments for psychological trauma. Narratives from the transcribed interviews were reviewed with the participants and their comments solicited for rigour and verification of meaning. A thematic analysis of the text, conducted to examine the ways in which contemporary treatment approaches help peacekeepers to heal from trauma, revealed 3 themes: medications as helping the most, understanding what is going on, and self-healing as a journey of discovery. The embodied nature of healing from trauma among contemporary peacekeepers should not be overlooked. Studies on the efficacy of different treatment modalities for psychological trauma, including mind-body complementary therapies, are needed.

Solid state speciation and potential bioavailability of depleted uranium particles from Kosovo and Kuwait.

A combination of synchrotron radiation based X-ray microscopic techniques (mu-XRF, mu-XANES, mu-XRD) applied on single depleted uranium (DU) particles and semi-bulk leaching experiments has been employed to link the potential bioavailability of DU particles to site-specific particle characteristics. The oxidation states and crystallographic forms of U in DU particles have been determined for individual particles isolated from selected samples collected at different sites in Kosovo and Kuwait that were contaminated by DU ammunition during the 1999 Balkan conflict and the 1991 Gulf war. Furthermore, small soil or sand samples heavily contaminated with DU particles were subjected to simulated gastrointestinal fluid (0.16 M HCl) extractions. Characteristics of DU particles in Kosovo soils collected in 2000 and in Kuwait soils collected in 2002 varied significantly depending on the release scenario and to some extent on weathering conditions. Oxidized U (+6) was determined in large, fragile and bright yellow DU particles released during fire at a DU ammunition storage facility and crystalline phases such as schoepite (UO(3).2.25H(2)O), dehydrated schoepite (UO(3).0.75H(2)O) and metaschoepite (UO(3).2.0H(2)O) were identified. As expected, these DU particles were rapidly dissolved in 0.16 M HCl (84 +/- 3% extracted after 2 h) indicating a high degree of potential mobility and bioavailability. In contrast, the 2 h extraction of samples contaminated with DU particles originating either from corrosion of unspent DU penetrators or from impacted DU ammunition appeared to be much slower (20-30%) as uranium was less oxidized (+4 to +6). Crystalline phases such as UO(2), UC and metallic U or U-Ti alloy were determined in impacted DU particles from Kosovo and Kuwait, while the UO(2,34) phase, only determined in particles from Kosovo, could reflect a more corrosive environment. Although the results are based on a limited number of DU particles, they indicate that the structure and extractability of DU particles released from similar sources (metallic U penetrators) will depend on the release scenarios (fire, impact) and to some extent environmental conditions. However, most of the DU particles (73-96%) in all investigated samples were dissolved in 0.16 M HCl after one week indicating that a majority of the DU material is bioaccessible.

Contact sensitivity in patients with psoriasis in Vojvodina.

BACKGROUND: Immunologic studies indicate that psoriasis may represent an organ-integrated response. OBJECTIVE: We assessed contact hypersensitivity in plaque-type psoriasis, its frequency, etiology and association with severity of psoriasis. METHODS: Contact hypersensitivity was defined as a positive patch test (PT) to at least one of 44 ubiquitous contact allergens. Patients with exclusively plaque psoriasis and control groups (patients with allergic contact or extrinsic atopic dermatitis and healthy persons) were tested with the European standard series; plant-related standard allergens; Compositae allergens, and our own extracts from Compositae plants ubiquitous in Vojvodina. Sensitization rates to allergens were standardized for age and sex, and rates in women and in men were both standardized for age. Disease severity was evaluated using the Psoriasis Area Severity Index score. RESULTS: 15,123 PTs were performed. Among psoriatic patients in Vojvodina, the overall rate of sensitivity, standardized for age and sex, was 18.9%. Rates in women (27.7%) and men (5.8%), both standardized for age, were significantly different. Male psoriatic patients reacted less than healthy males, the difference being on the margin of significance. There was no relationship between severity of disease and PT reactivity. Yarrow extract, nickel and a Compositae mix were the most common allergens that produced positive reactions. CONCLUSION: Although patch testing in psoriatic patients can be quite challenging, time-consuming and difficult, it will provide further insight into the pathophysiology of psoriasis. Factors other than different exposure to allergens may also be responsible for a sex-related difference in contact sensitivity. Future studies should focus on this field.

[The 60th anniversary of the Croatian Balneological and Climatological Institute]. / Sezdeseta obljetnica osnutka Balneolosko-Klimatoloskog Instituta Hrvatske.

Sixty years ago, more precisely on 28 August 1949, Croatian Ministry of Health founded the Balneological and Climatological Institute as a result of a long-term endeavor and attempts to provide Croatia with an institution of this type, already existing in many European countries. In 1953, the Institute came under the management of the Yugoslav Academy of Arts and Sciences/YAAS [today Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts and became the Department of Balneoclimatology of the Medical Research Institute of YAAS. In 1958, it was transferred to the Medical School of the University of Zagreb, continuing to function first as the Institute of Balneoclimatology and Physical Therapy and, since 1963, as the Institute of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. In spite of financial difficulties and occasional lack of understanding from the officials in this field, significant contributions have been made to balneology during this time, justifying the need for such an institution. On 15 April 2008, the Institute of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation became Department for Balneoclimatology, under the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health of Andrija Stampar School of Public Health, Rockfellerova 4, Zagreb.

Health investigations of depleted-uranium clean-up workers.

BACKGROUND: The soil contaminated by depleted uranium (238U) ammunition during the NATO bombing of Serbia and Montenegro was cleaned-up for four months in 2002. A team of 11 clean-up workers (expert members) were medically examined three times: before decontamination as a preliminary medical check-up, immediately after decontamination, and four years after cleaning up contaminated ground. OBJECTIVES: This short report presents investigations and health risk assessments of clean-up workers in radioactive decontamination operations and an assessment of the environmental health perspectives for citizens living in surrounding areas. METHOD: The method of initial health disorders was used, analyzing the most sensitive biological materials, such as blood cells or chromosome damage, DNA strand breaks, radio-toxicological examination of urine. RESULTS: The total number of blood cells did not change, but variations of the relative number (percentage) of cells in the leukocyte formula were observed. The total number of DNA alterations was higher immediately after decontamination than before decontamination. Four years after decontamination the number of DNA alterations had decreased. However, the number of damaged cells (lymphocytes containing chromosome lesions) was higher in both medical examinations, immediately after and four years after decontamination. CONCLUSIONS: Disease or tumours due to 238U did not develop in the group of depleted uranium clean-up workers during the investigation period of four years. Further monitoring of haematological and chromosomal effects and the health condition of workers is necessary.

Treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder in postwar Kosovar adolescents using mind-body skills groups: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether participation in a mind-body skills group program based on psychological self-care, mind-body techniques, and self-expression decreases symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). METHOD: Eighty-two adolescents meeting criteria for PTSD according to the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire (which corresponds with 16 of the 17 diagnostic criteria for PTSD in DSM-IV) were randomly assigned to a 12-session mind-body group program or a wait-list control group. The program was conducted by high school teachers in consultation with psychiatrists and psychologists and included meditation, guided imagery, and breathing techniques; self-expression through words, drawings, and movement; autogenic training and biofeedback; and genograms. Changes in PTSD symptoms were measured using the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire. The study was conducted from September 2004 to May 2005 by The Center for Mind-Body Medicine at a high school in the Suhareka region of Kosovo. RESULTS: Students in the immediate intervention group had significantly lower PTSD symptom scores following the intervention than those in the wait-list control group (F = 29.8, df = 1,76; p < .001). Preintervention and postintervention scores (mean [SD]) for the intervention group were 2.5 (0.3) and 2.0 (0.3), respectively, and for the control group, 2.5 (0.3) and 2.4 (0.4), respectively. The decreased PTSD symptom scores were maintained in the initial intervention group at 3-month follow-up. After the wait-list control group received the intervention, there was a significant decrease (p < .001) in PTSD symptom scores compared to the preintervention scores. CONCLUSIONS: Mind-body skills groups can reduce PTSD symptoms in war-traumatized high school students and can be effectively led by trained and supervised schoolteachers.