• B Lopes Cardozo, A Vergara, F Agani, and C A Gotway.
• National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Hwy NE, Mailstop F-48, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA. bhc8@cdc.gov
• JAMA. 2000 Aug 2; 284 (5): 569-77.

ContextThe 1998-1999 war in Kosovo had a direct impact on large numbers of civilians. The mental health consequences of the conflict are not known.ObjectivesTo establish the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity associated with the war in Kosovo, to assess social functioning, and to identify vulnerable populations among ethnic Albanians in Kosovo.Design, Setting, And ParticipantsCross-sectional cluster sample survey conducted from August to October 1999 among 1358 Kosovar Albanians aged 15 years or older in 558 randomly selected households across Kosovo.Main Outcome MeasuresNonspecific psychiatric morbidity, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and social functioning using the General Health Questionnaire 28 (GHQ-28), Harvard Trauma Questionnaire, and the Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form 20 (MOS-20), respectively; feelings of hatred and a desire for revenge among persons surveyed as addressed by additional questions.ResultsOf the respondents, 17.1% (95% confidence interval [CI], 13.2%-21.0%) reported symptoms that met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition criteria for PTSD; total mean score on the GHQ-28 was 11.1 (95% CI, 9.9-12.4). Respondents reported a high prevalence of traumatic events. There was a significant linear decrease in mental health status and social functioning with increasing amount of traumatic events (PConclusionsMental health problems and impaired social functioning related to the recent war are important issues that need to be addressed to return the Kosovo region to a stable and productive environment. JAMA. 2000;284:569-577

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