Abstract (eng)
The long-term impact of the war in Kosovo on mental health of the Kosovo Albanian population can be determined particularly based on high rates of PTSD and increased suicidality. Based on Schematic Appraisals Model (SAMS) the development of suicidality can be explained by the underlying psychic constructs such as defeat & entrapment, appraisal of personal attributes and appraisal of availability of social resources. This is the first study that made use of the SAMS-Model to explain the suicidal tendencies and PTSD in a sample of civilian war victims.
The data from 398 study participants (199 in Kosovo, 199 in Austria), with at least one traumatic experience during the war in Kosovo, were evaluated. Measuring methods were put into place to evaluate the type and magnitude of traumata, PTDS, suicidal tendencies, comorbid disorders and the three factors of the SAMS-Model in the operationalization as defeat & entrapment (D&E), core self-evaluations (CSE) and perceived social support (WSU).
The SAMS-Model could only be confirmed in parts for the tested sample. The regression analysis showed that D&E was the only variable out of three that had a direct influence on PTDS and suicidal tendencies. For CSE there was a hypothetical indirect effect through the interaction with D&E. Through the addition of other collected factors, 23.7% of suicidal tendencies variance and 60% of PTDS variance could be explained.
The results provide evidence for a complex interaction between a range of factors that are effective in the genesis of psychological symptoms and disorders after war-related trauma. In this study, the SAMS-Model provides crucial indication, and can be used trans-diagnostically. It is relevant for trauma research to incorporate further contextual factors in the model.