BACKGROUNDPatients with combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have an increased frequency of suicide ideations, but also a higher risk of suicide attempts. Of all the known predisposing ...risk factors of suicide attempts in this population, personality dimensions are one of the least investigated. The main aim of this study was to examine if personality traits, namely temperament and character dimensions and trait impulsivity, are associated with suicide attempts in war veterans with PTSD.SUBJECTS AND METHODShis sample included 178 Croatian male war veterans (mean age 49.20 years) treated for PTSD at the Department of Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine, University Hospital Center Zagreb. These patients were assessed with the M.I.N.I. diagnostic interview and they filled out several self-report scales: the Beck Depression Inventory-Second Edition (BDI-II), the Temperament and Character Inventory-Revised (TCI-R), the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11 (BIS-11), and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS).RESULTSIt was found that 42 (24%) Croatian war veterans with PTSD had a previous suicide attempt. Comparison between the two groups (participants with vs. those without history of suicide attempts) revealed that patients with previous suicide attempts are less educated and more often unemployed, have a longer duration of psychiatric treatment and more psychiatric hospitalizations, and exhibit higher levels of depression and lower life satisfaction. In multivariate logistic regression analyses, temperament dimension Harm Avoidance and character dimension Self-transcendence were unique predictors of suicide attempts, above the influence of age, education level and length of treatment.CONCLUSIONSCroatian war veterans with PTSD have a substantial risk of suicide attempts. In addition to the role of some sociodemographic and clinical factors, it seems that certain personality dimensions are uniquely associated with suicide behaviours among these individuals.
Studies show that a woman's dissatisfaction with her birth experience may affect her well‐being. This study aimed to examine: (1) the birth satisfaction in Croatian women and compare it with UK ...normative data; (2) the association of different dimensions of birth satisfaction with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depressive symptoms. In a cross‐sectional online study, 603 postnatal Croatian women completed the Birth Satisfaction Scale‐Revised (subscales: Stress experienced during labour (SL), Women's personal attributes (WA), and Quality of care provision (QC)); City Birth Trauma Scale (subscales: Birth‐related symptoms and General symptoms); and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. Subscale and total scale scores were calculated. Path analysis tested the model of three aspects of birth satisfaction effect on PTSD dimensions and depressive symptoms. The average birth satisfaction score was significantly lower compared to the UK data on the total scale and all three subscale scores. Path analysis revealed that all three dimensions of birth satisfaction (SL, WA, and QC) had an effect on Birth‐related symptoms. However, only Women's personal attributes (i.e., feeling anxiety or being in control during childbirth) had an effect on General symptoms and depressive symptoms, as well. Different aspects of birth satisfaction are important for maternal mental health following childbirth.
Posttraumatic stress disorder is characterized by an overactive noradrenergic system conferring core posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms such as hyperarousal and reexperiencing. Monoamine oxidase ...A is one of the key enzymes mediating the turnover of noradrenaline. Here, DNA methylation of the monoamine oxidase A gene exonI/intronI region was investigated for the first time regarding its role in posttraumatic stress disorder risk and severity.
Monoamine oxidase A methylation was analyzed via direct sequencing of sodium bisulfite-treated DNA extracted from blood cells in a total sample of N=652 (441 male) patients with current posttraumatic stress disorder, patients with remitted posttraumatic stress disorder, and healthy probands (comparison group) recruited at 5 centers in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, and the Republic of Kosovo. Posttraumatic stress disorder severity was measured by means of the Clinician-Administered Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Scale and its respective subscores representing distinct symptom clusters.
In the male, but not the female sample, patients with current posttraumatic stress disorder displayed hypermethylation of 3 CpGs (CpG3=43656362; CpG12=43656514; CpG13=43656553, GRCh38.p2 Assembly) as compared with remitted Posttraumatic Stress Disorder patients and healthy probands. Symptom severity (Clinician-Administered Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Scale scores) in male patients with current posttraumatic stress disorder significantly correlated with monoamine oxidase A methylation. This applied particularly to symptom clusters related to reexperiencing of trauma (cluster B) and hyperarousal (cluster D).
The present findings suggest monoamine oxidase A gene hypermethylation, potentially resulting in enhanced noradrenergic signalling, as a disease status and severity marker of current posttraumatic stress disorder in males. If replicated, monoamine oxidase A hypermethylation might serve as a surrogate marker of a hyperadrenergic subtype of posttraumatic stress disorder guiding personalized treatment decisions on the use of antiadrenergic agents.
BACKGROUNDCombat-related chronic post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a therapeutically resistant disorder of the fluctuating course. The success of a group psychotherapy is partial. The aim of ...this paper is to determine baseline characteristics of veterans for whom a group psychotherapy will be the effective psychotherapeutic treatment. SUBJECTS AND METHODSWe performed this prospective cohort study in two geographically distant institutions: Regional Psychotrauma Center at the Psychiatric Clinic Split, and the Daily Hospital of the Psychiatric Hospital "Sveti Ivan" Zagreb, Croatia. We selected a consecutive sample of 86 veterans with combat-related chronic PTSD admitted to the group psychotherapy during 2009-2012. The primary outcome was ≥5% improvement in PTSD symptoms severity measured by Mississippi Scale for Combat-Related PTSD and adjusted for the baseline Mississippi scale score. Predictors were participants' 17 baseline sociodemographic and clinical characteristics and psychological features like personality traits, stress-coping mechanisms, and depression. RESULTSWe identified two patients' segments with significantly higher likelihood for the favorable treatment outcome. The first one were patients with the low score (≤8) on the phobia scale and high score (≥7) on the hysterical personality scale. In this segment 100% of patients experienced a favorable treatment outcome. The second one were the patiens with a higher score (>8) on the phobia scale, the low score (≤12) on the free-floating anxiety scale and the high score ≥8) on the obsession scale. In this segment, 64% experienced the favorable treatment outcome. CONCLUSIONThe favorable outcome of the group psychotherapy of PTSD symptoms severity in patients with combat-related chronic PTSD can be predicted before the start of the treatment. The favorable outcome should be expected in patients with the low phobia and pronounced hysteria personality traits, or in patients with higher phobia, but with low free-floating anxiety and low obsession.
Članak donosi pregled prostorne organizacije biskupijskog uređenja u Bosni i Hercegovini stavljajući ga, u užem smislu, u kontekst geopolitičkih razmatranja. U širem smislu, promatrajući ga s aspekta ...uloge Vatikana i Katoličke Crkve u geopolitičkoj konfiguraciji Balkana, članak kontekstualizira ovo prostorno uređenje u odnosu na širi regionalni i europski kontekst. U teorijskom smislu, članak zadire u teorijske aspekte političke geografije i geografije religije. U metodološkom smislu, članak inicijalno objašnjava povijesni kontekst nastanka prostorne organizacije biskupija u Bosni i Hercegovini. Nadalje, na temelju podataka iz popisa stanovništva, članak istražuje i kartografski interpretira odstupanja između granica biskupija i prostora naseljenima Hrvatima kao jedinim većinski katoličkim konstitutivnim narodom u Bosni i Hercegovini. Konačno, članak potvrđuje hipotezu prema kojoj je, za razliku od etničkog pristupa, geopolitički pristup bio presudan u prostornoj organizaciji Katoličke Crkve u Bosni i Hercegovini.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
The article presents a review of diocesan spatial organization in Bosnia and Herzegovina by placing it, in a narrow sense, in the context of geopolitical consideration. In the broader sense, ...observing it from the aspect of the role of the Vatican state and the Catholic Church in the geopolitical configuration of the Balkans, the article contextualizes this spatial organization in relation to the wider regional and European context. In a theoretical sense, the article delves into theoretical aspects of political geography and the geography of religion. In the methodological sense, the article initially explains the historical context of the emergence of diocesan spatial organization in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In addition, based on census data, the article researches and cartographically interprets the discrepancies between diocesan borders and areas inhabited by Croats as the only predominantly Catholic constituent people in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Finally, the article confirms the hypothesis that, unlike the ethnic-based approach, the geopolitical approach is crucial in the spatial organization of the Catholic Church in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
In this paper, author discusses and analyzes the normative regulation of the position of city officials and civil servants, their legal status and the payment system in the Osijek city administration ...in the period from the proclamation of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes in 1918 to the promulgation of the 1934 Municipalities Act. In covering the topic, the author primarily used the relevant legislation and the archival material available at the State Archives in Osijek. Considering the position of city officials and civil servants in the city of Osijek between the two world wars in relation to their position during the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the normative analysis shows that city officials and civil servants were part of the occupational classification system in the interwar period. The city employees were ranked according to types of occupations and the level of professional qualifications required to perform them. Until then, the salaries of city employees were regulated by Austro-Hungarian laws, according to which there were wage classes, and city municipalities had some kind of financial autonomy in determining the amount of salaries of city employees. A significant novelty in the inter-war period was the established system of dividing payments into basic and position wages, including bonuses. The salaries of city employees were made equal to those of state servants. It resulted in introducing an evaluation system which was directly related to the exercise of individual rights and determining the responsibilities of city employees. The Statutes related to the evaluation system included the possibility of promotion and demotion (to a higher or a lower payment class), termination of service, and loss of pension. Consequently, it may be concluded that the main purpose of the evaluation system was to institute the standards for rewards or penalties.
We will examine how the diversity of historical sources affects the portrayal
of the Balkan Slavs by following two writings that notably differ. First is
De Administrando Imperio, written in the X ...century. Our second source is the
Chronicle of the Priest of Duklja about which very little is known. The two
sources have a strong influence on our understanding of the earliest history
of the Slavs that dwell in the Western Balkans. Hence, on our understanding
of the modern nations, i.e. Croats and Serbs. These sources are so different
when regarding their historicity, time of composition etc. But in terms of
myths, we see the same patterns: coming of pagan peoples in Roman Dalmatia,
story of their origin, how they were baptised, who were their rulers, what
kind of dynasties they had, when did it happen and many more. Following this
general ethnogenetic and mythological framework, we will try to conclude
the relationship between myth and the identity of a European populace. To
achieve this goal, we used qualitative and quantitative content analysis and
provided their narrative networks of the mentioned texts. These networks
illustrate patterns of connections between different ethnogenetic elements
in the writings that serve to form groups identities of interest.
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