Range and dimensions of trauma experienced by bosnian refugees resettled in Australia

Abstract

Various approaches have been used to conceptualise and represent the range of traumas suffered by survivors of recent genocidal conflicts. This preliminary report describes the dimensions of trauma experienced by Bosnian refugees now residing in Australia, using three illustrative case studies, principal components analysis of traumatic events, and a cluster analysis to examine whether the subjects form groups on the basis of type and intensity of exposure to trauma. One hundred and twenty‐six Bosnian refugees, living in Sydney, were recruited through community social groups and a “snowball” procedure. All participants underwent detailed, open‐ended interviews concerning their trauma histories and their responses to these experiences. Detailed case histories provided examples of exposure to multiple traumas of a diverse nature,.and examples of complex psychological reactions of anger, humiliation, and helplessness. Principal components analysis of trauma events produced four dimensions: human rights violations and extreme traumatic experiences, dispossession and eviction, threats to life, and loss of family. Survivors reported more exposure to human rights violations and threat to life than to other trauma experiences. Finally, cluster analysis was used to identify different groups of Bosnian refugees on the basis of the type and intensity of their traumatic experiences. Bosnian refugees have been xposed to extreme trauma associated with ethnic cleansing, but subgroups differ according to levels of exposure. Multivariate analysis can produce coherent dimensions of trauma in such groups, but tends not to capture the full range of subjective experiences and reactions to thesecomplex events.