Maercker A, Schützwohl M
Department of Psychology, Dresden University of Technology, Germany.
Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 1997 Nov;32(8):435-42. doi: 10.1007/BF00789137.
The study investigated the long-term effects of political imprisonment in the former German Democratic Republic. A group of non-treatment-seeking former political prisoners (n = 146) was compared with an age- and sex-matched group (n = 75). Assessments included the structured Diagnostic Interview for Psychiatric Disorders (German abbreviation: DIPS) for DSM-III-R/-IV diagnoses, a checklist of persecution and maltreatment, and other self-rated measures of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, and dissociation. PTSD was assessed by the DIPS as current and lifetime diagnoses. Former political prisoners were imprisoned for 38 months on average. The former prisoners had a lower educational and lifetime occupational level than the comparison group. Results regarding diagnoses show a frequency of 30% current and 60% lifetime PTSD in the former prisoners group. Other anxiety disorders (e.g., claustrophobia, social phobia) outnumbered comorbid affective disorders. The level of dissociation was elevated in the former prisoners group. Intrusive recollections and hyperarousal were more common than avoidance/numbing symptoms. Despite differences in imprisonment duration between three historically defined eras of persecution, no differences appeared in the level of symptomatology. The results suggest that political imprisonment in the former German Democratic Republic had long-term psychological effects. Compared with an age- and sex-matched comparison group, the former political prisoners showed higher levels not only of post-traumatic symptomatology but also of other anxiety disorders and dissociation.
该研究调查了前德意志民主共和国政治监禁的长期影响。将一组未寻求治疗的前政治犯（n = 146）与一个年龄和性别匹配的组（n = 75）进行比较。评估包括用于DSM-III-R/-IV诊断的结构化精神障碍诊断访谈（德语缩写：DIPS）、一份迫害和虐待清单，以及创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）、焦虑、抑郁和解离的其他自评量表。PTSD通过DIPS评估当前和终生诊断情况。前政治犯平均被监禁38个月。前囚犯的教育水平和终生职业水平低于对照组。关于诊断的结果显示，前囚犯组当前PTSD的发生率为30%，终生PTSD的发生率为60%。其他焦虑障碍（如幽闭恐惧症、社交恐惧症）的数量超过了共病的情感障碍。前囚犯组的解离水平升高。侵入性回忆和过度警觉比回避/麻木症状更常见。尽管在三个历史定义的迫害时期之间监禁时长存在差异，但症状水平没有差异。结果表明，前德意志民主共和国的政治监禁具有长期的心理影响。与年龄和性别匹配的对照组相比，前政治犯不仅创伤后症状水平更高，其他焦虑障碍和解离水平也更高。
