Complex war trauma in an adolescent: diagnosis and rehabilitation (clinical case)

Background. The health status of the child population is an important indicator of the well-being of society and the state. Armed conflict acts as a powerful destructive factor, creating extremely stressful conditions that significantly harm the physical and mental health of children. A child’s body does not have sufficient physiological and psychological resources to resist prolonged stress, which leads to significant psychosomatic disorders. Understanding the depth of these disorders in the bodies of children and adolescents as a result of experienced stress will make it possible to predict the consequences of the tragedy for both an individual child and future generations. Aim: on the example of a clinical case, to present and analyze the physical and mental components of war trauma, and on this basis, to determine the main approaches to medical and psychological rehabilitation. Materials and methods. Patient A., 14 years old, sustained a mine-explosive injury to the right gluteal area during shelling and also witnessed the death of his father and grandmother. Optimal recovery of the physical, somatic, and mental health of the teenager was carried out according to the algorithm of providing comprehensive medical and psychological clinical rehabilitation, which included medical, physical, psychological, and social blocks. Results. War trauma in this clinical case is characte­rized by a severe course, as it combines a mine-explosive injury with acute physical and psychological stress, and is also accompanied by grief over the death of close relatives, which occurs against the background of prolonged exposure to other external destructive factors. Comprehensive medical and psychological clinical rehabilitation promoted positive dynamics in the teenager: improved psycho-emotional state (a certain decrease in psycho-emotional stress from 8 to 5 points), improved awareness, increased control over own body and thoughts, as well as and somatic condition: increased activity level, normalization of glucose and potassium le­vels, blood pressure, and heart rate. Conclusions. Thus, war trauma requires an integrated approach to diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation, covering the physical, medical, psychological, and social aspects of the patient’s health. Effective comprehensive medical and psychological clinical rehabilitation is an important condition for restoring the health of children who have experienced severe stress impacts of war. Rehabilitation measures require a family-oriented approach with the provision of necessary amount of rehabilitation assistance to all family members who have lost loved ones.