Depression and torture

Abstract

Torture represents an exceptionally traumatic experience in which horror, helplessness, and hopelessness are extreme. Therefore, it can be expected that depression, along with other trauma-related disorders is present in torture victims at higher rates than in other psychotraumatized individuals. To demonstrate this, we examined two groups of refugees, all suffering the post-traumatic stress disorder. The first group (N = 50) had combat experience but were imprisoned and tortured as well. Members of the second group (N = 29) had combat experience. A third group (N = 30) consisted of local people with no traumatic experience. Using the Hamilton scale, the Beck Depression Inventory and structured dedicated interviews, we tried to determine whether those groups differed in level of depression based on their different levels of traumatic experience. The results of our study indicate that torture victims showed a significantly higher level of depression that is clinically relevant.