Psychological effects of torture: a comparison of tortured with nontortured political activists in Turkey
1994; American Psychiatric Association; Volume: 151; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1176/ajp.151.1.76
ISSN1535-7228
AutoresMahmut Başoğlu, Murat Paker, Özgün Paker, Ezgi Selçuk Özmen, I. M. Marks, Cem İncesu, Dilek Şahın, Nuşin Sarimurat,
Tópico(s)Torture, Ethics, and Law
ResumoBack to table of contents Previous article Next article No AccessPsychological effects of torture: a comparison of tortured with nontortured political activists in TurkeyPublished Online:1 Apr 2006https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.151.1.76AboutSectionsView articleAbstractPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail View articleAbstractOBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to investigate the long-term effects of torture in a group of former political prisoners. METHOD: The study was carried out in Istanbul, Turkey, where 55 Turkish political activists who had been tortured were compared with a closely matched group of 55 activists who had not been tortured. The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R, the Semistructured Interview for Survivors of Torture, and other self-rated and assessor-rated measures of anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were used. The tortured and the nontortured activists were similar in age, sex, marital and socioeconomic status, political ideology, political involvement, stressful life events other than torture, and other features. RESULTS: The torture survivors reported an average of 291 exposures to a mean of 23 forms of torture. The mean length of their imprisonment was 47 months. The survivors of torture had significantly more symptoms of PTSD and anxiety/depression than the nontortured comparison subjects, although their PTSD symptoms were only moderately severe and their general mood was normal. Despite the severity of their torture experiences, the survivors had only a moderate level of psychopathology. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that torture has long- term psychological effects independent of those related to uprooting, refugee status, and other traumatic life events in a politically repressive environment. Prior knowledge of and preparedness for torture, strong commitment to a cause, immunization against traumatic stress as a result of repeated exposure, and strong social supports appear to have protective value against PTSD in survivors of torture. Access content To read the fulltext, please use one of the options below to sign in or purchase access. Personal login Institutional Login Sign in via OpenAthens Register for access Purchase Save for later Item saved, go to cart PPV Articles - American Journal of Psychiatry $35.00 Add to cart PPV Articles - American Journal of Psychiatry Checkout Please login/register if you wish to pair your device and check access availability. Not a subscriber? Subscribe Now / Learn More PsychiatryOnline subscription options offer access to the DSM-5 library, books, journals, CME, and patient resources. This all-in-one virtual library provides psychiatrists and mental health professionals with key resources for diagnosis, treatment, research, and professional development. Need more help? PsychiatryOnline Customer Service may be reached by emailing [email protected] or by calling 800-368-5777 (in the U.S.) or 703-907-7322 (outside the U.S.). FiguresReferencesCited byDetailsCited byProspective Study of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Depression Following TraumaArieh Y. Shalev, M.D., Sara Freedman, M.A., Tuvia Peri, Ph.D., Dalia Brandes, M.Sc., Tali Sahar, M.Sc., Scott P. Orr, Ph.D., and Roger K. Pitman, M.D.1 May 1998 | American Journal of Psychiatry, Vol. 155, No. 5 Volume 151Issue 1 January 1994Pages 76-81 Metrics PDF download History Published online 1 April 2006 Published in print 1 January 1994
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