The Outcomes of Group Work with Traumatized Children and their Families in the Southern Serbia and Kosovo Region

The war in the Balkan region — which began in 1992 — inflicted a heavy suffering among the local population and displaced as many as 250 000 persons from their homes. Yet, over 600 000 have applied for refugee status and become exiled elsewhere in the neighbouring states. The conflict in that region and its aftermath have also exposed a large number of children and adolescents to immensely traumatic experiences and consequently to the vulnerability to mental disorders such as anxiety (Dwivedi and Varma 1997a), depression (Dwivedi and Varma 1997b) and other Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders (PTSD) (Dwivedi 2000).