Psychological condition hormone levels in war trauma

Psychological and hormonal responses to various degrees of war-related traumatic experience were analysed in 91 subjects. Their psychological responses (psychosomatic, personality traits, etc.) were evaluated by the COR-NEX2 test. Based on test results, the subjects were classified into three groups: G1 = normal, G2 = moderate, and G3 = severe response. The distribution of subjects in the three groups was related to the intensity and duration of stress that they had been exposed to. Serum levels of cortisol, prolactin, β-endorphin, thyroxin and triiodothyronine were analysed in all subjects. The levels of cortisol and prolactin were significantly decreased in subjects expressing a severe psychological response, while the level of prolactin correlated with COR-NEX2 test scores. Although relations to other intervening variables are to be investigated, our results indicated that endocrine changes, following trauma, were not random, but rather related to stress-induced psychological responses, and not to trauma per se.