Behavioral response of people in Belgrade to the bombing campaign during 1999

Abstract

Introduction In contrast to numerous reports on long-term psychological consequences of disasters, the literature addressing the acute impact of intentional collective disaster is limited. Objective This research aimed to examine the impact of the bombing campaign on the behavior of people living in Belgrade during the air attacks in 1999. Methods The questionnaire was designed and administered to 231 participants. Psychological distress symptoms were assessed using the Symptom Checklist-Revised (SCL-90-R). Results Participants reported fear and anger as dominant feelings, and the majority of them complained about sleep disturbance, body weight change, and loss of interest for sexual activity. Regression analysis of the scores of the SCL-90-R revealed significant effects of the duration of living under the stress of air attacks, age and gender of the participants and living in the risky areas of the city, upon the scores on Anxiety and Depression dimension. Conclusion The results of the study contributed to our understanding of the processes through which individuals pass during a long lasting bombardment. It can be beneficial for mental health services in evaluating which actions of care and support could be most suitable.