Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and War: A Systematic Review

Abstract

PTSD has been linked in the literature to traumatic experiences of car accidents, natural disasters, sexual assaults and especially war. This is evidenced by the relevant literature research reported in the thesis.  The research was guided by PRISMA 2020, which helped to ensure the quality of the research (Page et al., 2021a; 2020b). Initially, research was sought that addressed the association between this disorder and experiences of war. Of the found sources of material, a part was the category of previous similar type of research (N=7) on the relevant topic, from which the usefulness of the present study became apparent, with the limited Greek literature and the focus of the existing one on veteran soldiers. An important finding was the much higher prevalence of the general population and children and youth, compared to veterans. The association between PTSD and war, its intensity and prevalence, depends on other factors such as demographics, the type of trauma, the psychosocial make-up of the individual and his/her socio-cultural identity. There is a need for further research into this phenomenon, with the aim of formulating targeted policies for prevention, treatment-intervention and rehabilitation of people who have experienced the inhuman situations of war.