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Somatic distress among Kosovar civilian war survivors: relationship to trauma exposure and the mediating role of experiential avoidance

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Abstract

Purpose

The current study examined the prevalence and correlates of somatic distress (SD) in the aftermath of war, and the role of a process hypothesized to contribute to posttraumatic stress: experiential avoidance.

Methods

Civilian war survivors (n = 163) from Kosovo were assessed in structured interviews, reporting on average more than ten types of traumatic war exposure.

Results

One in eight (12.9%) of the participants meet criteria for SD, which was associated with greater psychological distress, experiential avoidance, and lower quality of life after accounting for the effects of war-related variables, demographic variables, as well as posttraumatic stress disorder and major depressive episode. Experiential avoidance partially mediated the association between SD and psychological distress and quality of life.

Conclusions

The results indicate that SD is prevalent among war-exposed civilians and that experiential avoidance may be a significant factor in understanding and treating traumatized people who are experiencing SD.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by an award given to the first author by the German Speaking Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (DeGPT).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Roetersstraat 15, 1018 WB, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Nexhmedin Morina

  2. School of Medicine, University of Connecticut, Farmington, USA

    Julian D. Ford

  3. University of Jena, Jena, Germany

    Anne Katrin Risch

  4. ZANA, Gllogovc, Kosovo

    Besim Morina

  5. University of Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

    Ulrich Stangier

Authors
  1. Nexhmedin Morina
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  2. Julian D. Ford
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  3. Anne Katrin Risch
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  4. Besim Morina
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  5. Ulrich Stangier
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Correspondence to Nexhmedin Morina.

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Morina, N., Ford, J.D., Risch, A.K. et al. Somatic distress among Kosovar civilian war survivors: relationship to trauma exposure and the mediating role of experiential avoidance. Soc Psychiat Epidemiol 45, 1167–1177 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-009-0160-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-009-0160-z

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