Creative Psychopharmacotherapy in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Experiences from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Introduction: Paediatric psychopharmacology involves the application of psychotropic agents to the treatment of children and adolescents with mental disorders and gathered knowledge from child and adolescent psychiatry (CAP), neurology, paediatrics and pharmacology. Defining elements of this discipline are: the metabolism of drugs is different in children than in adults (pharmacokinetics), the developing brain reacts specifically to the drug (pharmaco dynamics), and psychopathology itself is not differentiated yet. To make and overview of specifics in psychopharmacological use in CAP and emphasize some experiences from Bosnia and Herzegovina in that field.

Resilience between Salutogenesis and Pathogenesis: An Important Concept in Creative Personalized Psychopharmacotherapy.

Resilience is a complex multidimensional psychobiological concept that researchers define differently depending on the context of their research and theoretical orientation. Resilience indicates the ability of a child or adolescent (person) to adequately deal with problems, to continue to improve, grow and develop, and to successfully adapt to a new situation, regardless of the threats and challenges that characterize the environment. Salutogenesis is a sociomedical concept that focuses on factors that support human health and feelings of satisfaction, rather than on factors that cause disease.

The Influence of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder of War Veterans on the Mental Status of Children and Younger Adolescents.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a spectrum disorder whose symptoms show psychological, neurobiological dysregulation and poorer functionality of a person on the social plane. PTSD characteristics are symptoms from four clusters: symptoms of intrusiveness, avoidance, negative changes in cognition and mood and changes in excitability and reactivity. Traumatic experiences of war veterans can have an impact on the development of psychopathology in their children's lives.

Psychological characteristics of war veterans after the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Aim To determine psychological characteristics of war veterans after the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H). Methods The study included 207 war veterans with war experience in B&H. Evaluation of veterans was conducted by the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire (HTQ)-B&H version, Emotion Profile Index (EPI), Life Style Questionnaire (Life Style index - LSI).

Post-traumatic stress disorder and coping styles of war veterans twenty years after the war from Tuzla Canton.

Aim To analyse symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder and coping strategies of war veterans in Tuzla Canton twenty years after the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). Methods The study analysed a group of 120 war veterans from the Tuzla Canton who had experience of the war in BiH. For assessment of posttraumatic stress disorder Harvard Trauma Questionnaire was used, a version for Bosnia and Herzegovina and for assessment of coping styles Life Style Index was used.

Behavioral Problems and Emotional Difficulties at Children and Early Adolescents of the Veterans of War with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Introduction: Behavioral problems and emotional difficulties at children of the veterans of war with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have not been researched entirely. In our country, which has a lot of persons suffering from some psychological traumas, this trauma seems to continue.

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the exposure, manifestations of behavioral problems and emotional difficulties at children and early adolescents, whose fathers were the veterans of war demonstrating post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms.

Psychosocial problems among children of parents with posttraumatic stress disorder.

Background: To assess the expression of psychosocial problems among children of parents with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Material And Methods: A group of 100 children of school age (from 10 to 5 years old) from two randomly chosen schools has been analyzed. Children from complete families whose parents accepted psychometric measurement related to trauma have been chosen.

Psychological symptoms among workers employed in companies undergoing privatization in postwar Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In Central and Eastern European countries, after abandoning communism, significant political, economic and social changes occurred, followed by the increase in income inequality and social disparity. The goal of this study was to examine the relationship between psychological symptoms and monthly income of employees in companies undergoing privatization. The study included 258 workers from seven companies undergoing privatization in the Tuzla Canton region.

Somatic diseases in patients with posttraumatic stress disorder.

Purpose: Numerous studies indicate that the exposure to traumatic events and psychological trauma is a widespread. Studies also show the frequency of comorbidity of mental disorders in patients with posttraumatic stress disorders (PTSD), while the effects of exposure to traumatic events on somatic health have been neglected for a long time. As PTSD might have a devastating effect on physical integrity and general health, the aim of this study was to show the prevalence of somatic problems in patients with PTSD.

Contact network and satisfaction with contacts in children whose parents have post traumatic stress disorder.

Aim: The aim was to analyse contacts network and satisfaction with contacts among children of parents with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Subject And Methods: The sample consisted of 100 pupils (age 10 to 15) from two randomly chosen schools. Children were selected from general population, lived with both parents who have had war traumatic experiences.

Mental health care of psychotraumatized persons in post-war Bosnia and Herzegovina--experiences from Tuzla Canton.

Background: Majority of Bosnia-Herzegovina (BH) residents were exposed to cumulative traumatic events during and after the (1992-1995) war, which demanded emergency organizing of psychosocial support as well as psychiatric-psychological treatment of psychotraumatized individuals.

Objectives: To describe organizing of psychosocial help during and after the BH war, institutional treatment of psychotraumatized in the frame of mental health service reform program with an overview on the model of psychosocial support and psychiatry-psychological treatment of psychotraumatized persons of Tuzla Canton region.

Subjects And Methods: The retrospective analysis of functioning in the Department for traumatic stress disorders on the Psychiatry Clinic in Tuzla for the 1999-2003 period has been described in regard of number, gender, age and trauma related mental disorders of referred patients.

Cerebral cortical atrophy and silent brain infarcts in psychiatric patients.

Aim: To assess the frequency of silent brain infarcts and cerebral cortical atrophy in psychiatric patients with cognitive dysfunction.

Methods: One hundred and ninety four patients with cognitive dysfunction determined by the use of the Benton Visual Retention Test and Wechsler Memory Scale were analyzed according to age, gender, education, duration of psychiatric treatment, presence of mental disorders, neurological findings, and CT scan of neurocranium. The results were analyzed using descriptive statistics.

Psychological disturbances of war-traumatized children from different foster and family settings in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Aim: To assess the psychological health of war-traumatized children in different foster settings and compare them with children living with one or both parents, 7 years after the 1992-1995 war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Method: The study was carried out in Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina, in March 2002. We assessed 186 (93 girls and 93 boys) elementary school children aged 12.