Abstract

IRAHETA MONROY, Mario Roberto. Psicotrauma en sobrevientes de guerra en Guatemala. Med. leg. Costa Rica [online]. 2003, vol.20, n.2, pp.87-96. ISSN 2215-5287.

With the military rebellion in November 13 ^th, 1960, began an internal armed conflict between the guerrilla groups and the government’s armed forces which lasted 36 years. With the agreement of peace on December 29^th , 1996 the conflict ended. The violence of the war and the contra-insurgence policies of the Government with the sequels of death, pain, torture, forced disappearances, violations of human rights caused great damage to the people, mostly in the rural areas. As a result of the long war, still today the survivors suffer from physical, psychological and social damage. A descriptive study was made to establish the presence of the Posttraumatic Stress disorder in 4 relatives of 8 victims killed in a military attack, that took place in 1982 in their community. The victim’s remains were exhumed by Forensic Anthropology Foundation of Guatemala (FAFG).

Keywords : Psycho-trauma; war; armed conflict; military incursion; victim; death; torture; acute stress; post-traumatic stress disorder.