Obsessive-compulsive and posttraumatic stress symptoms among civilian survivors of war.

BACKGROUND: Several psychological sequelae have been identified in civilian war survivors. However, little is known about the prevalence of obsessive-compulsive symptoms and their relationship to trauma in this population. METHOD: Fifty-one adult civilian survivors of the Kosovo War (28 males) who had immigrated to Switzerland completed the Revised Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory Scale, the Posttraumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale and the Hopkins Symptom Checklist. Data were analysed using multiple regression analyses. RESULTS: Overall, 35 and 39% of the sample scored above the cut-offs for likely obsessive-compulsive disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder, respectively. Participants with high levels of posttraumatic stress symptoms were significantly more likely to have obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and vice versa. In multiple regression analysis, gender and severity of posttraumatic stress symptoms were predictors of obsessive-compulsive symptoms, whereas number of traumatic life event types and depressive symptoms were not. CONCLUSION: Given the small sample size, the results of this study need to be interpreted cautiously. Nevertheless, a surprisingly high number of participants in our study suffered from both obsessive-compulsive and posttraumatic stress symptoms, with obsessive-compulsive symptoms tending to be more pronounced in women. It remains, therefore, critical to specifically assess both obsessive-compulsive and posttraumatic stress symptoms in civilian war survivors, and to provide persons afflicted with appropriate mental health care.

[Recommendations for the Diagnosis and Therapy of Psychotic Disorders in the Elderly]. / Empfehlungen für die Diagnostik und Therapie psychotischer Erkrankungen im Alter.

Recommendations for the Diagnosis and Therapy of Psychotic Disorders in the Elderly Abstract. Psychotic disorders in the elderly cover a wide range of causes and manifestations. They often occur as part of a depression, dementia, substance abuse or delirium. While psychosis can occur with a first manifestation in advanced age, many patients with chronic psychotic disorders reach a high age. Many elderly individuals are also affected by cognitive impairment and somatic conditions, making a third-party history most relevant. The associated changes in life and the complexity of the individual situation needs to be integrated into the diagnosis and treatment. The presented recommendations have been developed under the lead of the Swiss Society of Old Age Psychiatry (SGAP) in collaboration with the Swiss Association of Nurses (SBK) and the subcommittees for gerontological and psychiatric nursing of the association of nursing science (VFP) as well as further professional societies. We aim to make current knowledge concerning diagnosis and treatment available to the interprofessional teams working in in- and outpatients' settings.