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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.
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