Post-traumatic stress disorder in ex-combatants of organized armed groups

Abstract

In armed conflicts, both individual and collective mental health are at high risk of being affected not only immediately but also in the medium and long term, which is why this research was carried out with the aim of identifying post-traumatic stress disorder in ex-combatants of the FARC - EP. Methodology: Cross-sectional analytical investigation, carried out on 114 ex-combatants of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, the people's army (FARC-EP), located in the territorial training and reintegration space (ETCR) in the department of Cesar. A multistage fieldwork was programmed where a sociodemographic questionnaire was applied, in which aspects such as gender, age, age of entry to the FARC and occupation before and during the conflict were investigated. The Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptom Severity Scale (EGS-R) was applied. Results: According to the analysis of the data collected in the evaluations of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with the 114 ex-combatants who participated in the investigation, significant differences were evidenced in the symptoms and severity of PTSD. An association (OR 3.84 95% CI 1.73 - 8.51) was found between the work performed within the FARC-EP and the symptomatic nuclei of Re-experimentation, avoidance OR 1.15 (IC95% 1.02 - 1.28) Alterations Cognitive OR 2.56 (IC95% 1.11 - 5.86) and hyper psychological activation OR 10.2 (IC95% 2.29 - 45.6).