PTSD has a significant influence on all aspects of the affected person’s life including one’s ability to work, which is indicated by absenteeism, unemployment, and work ability.

The aim of this study was to see how symptoms of PTSD affect work capacity of the population of the two Bosnian Cantons in the period of 5 years, years after traumatic events.

This study was epidemiological, cross-sectional, and has included 16157 assessments of the capacity to work, those evaluated at the Institute for medical expertise of health condition Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina-Sarajevo Department, in the period between 01.01.2006 until 31.12.2010. All patients with diagnose of PTSD, were observed according to the determined disability level, and that data was correlated with the soci-demographic variables.

In the observed period, there were 1656 patients with PTSD, 10.2% of all patients. In 5,6% of all patients, and 33.2 % of patients with PTSD, illness, alone or with somatic comorbidity and injuries, has disqualified or significantly interfered with their ability to perform the duties of their occupation. The predictors for the inability to work were: male, middle-aged, and unemployed.

With this study, we have proven that symptoms of PTSD have an lifetime effect on the ability to work. The limit of this study is the fact that only 20% of the FB&H population were observed. We were not able to calculate a trend because of the short period of observation. That should be the aim of some future studies.