[Classification of mental disorders of soldiers participating in peace missions and warfare actions]. / Klasyfikacja zaburzen, psychicznych u zolnierzy w czasie misji pokojowych i dzialaniach wojennych.

ABSTRACT

Numerous media reports (press, radio, television) and several scientific publications on psychiatric disorders among Polish soldiers participating in peace missions in Iraq indicate that there is a serious threat caused by the disorders defined in the DSM-IV classification as acute stress disorder (ASD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The authors analyzed psychiatric documentation and conducted their own researches, which revealed that adjustment disorders, especially with anxiety, are the main psychiatric problem among Polish soldiers in Iraq, while incidence of ASD and PTSD is very low. The aim of this publication is to present and compare mental disorders which occur during peace missions and welfare actions according to the international ICD-10 and American DSM-IV classifications. The authors paid attention to the role and significance of hitherto diagnosed impulsive disorders, which occur among the soldiers in Iraq as the intermittent explosive disorder, according to DSM-IV. The general and essential conclusions of the presented publication is that the guidelines of diagnosing mental disorders that occur during peace missions and welfare actions should be developed and introduced quickly.