29 The Clinical Measures The clinical measures indicate high rates of psychological disturbance. The mean number of current symptoms reported was high (10.1), with slightly higher numbers of psychological as opposed to physical symptoms being reported. As indicated above, the number of symptoms on presentation to a health setting has been shown to be a good indicator of the presence of psychological disorder, and, with some caution. this would seem to be the finding here. The caution is to do with disregarding the fact that the physical symptoms reported may well reflect physical injury, and that Physcore is more related to PTSD than ordinary psychological disorder. Many veterans reported poor hearing, pains in their arms, legs and back, and these are very likely a consequence of beatings received or war wounds. It is interesting that the physical symptoms reported correlates with PTSD, as measured by the CAPS, whilst the psychological symptoms correlate with psychological disorder as measured by the SRQ-20. A very high proportion report psychological disorders in the severe or clinically significant range. This is somewhat higher than that found in primary care samples or refugees, and is perhaps unsurprising in patients with multiple disorders. It is important to stress here the need to screen for psychological disorders in survivors of organised violence, especially when the survivors themselves are frequently unaware that many of their symptoms are psychological or that they are suffering from psychological disorder. As regards the diagnoses given, PTSD would be a common diagnosis, but PTSD may not be exclusive of other disorders: depression was frequently reported. Here it is important to note the issues raised above in the Introduction, and, in particular the observations of Turner and his associates, who comment that PTSD may be only one set of symptoms found in torture survivors.

Select target paragraph3

Add to table of contents