Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Health Functioning in a Non-Treatment-Seeking Sample of Iraq War Veterans: A Prospective Analysis

Abstract

To evaluate the impact of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on health-related functioning, we assessed 800 U.S. Army soldiers before and after 1-year military deployments to Iraq. As part of the Neurocognition Deployment Health Study procedures, each soldier completed at both time points self-report indexes of PTSD symptom severity, health behaviors (smoking, alcohol use), and somatic health-related functioning. Participants also completed a health-symptom checklist at the postdeployment assessment. Structural equation modeling revealed that postdeployment PTSD severity was associated with change in somatic health-related functioning, with postdeployment health symptoms as an intermediary variable.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 01, 2007
Accession Number
ADA482709

Entities

People

  • Daniel W. King
  • Elisabeth Gentry
  • Jennifer J. Vasterling
  • Jeremiah Schumm
  • Lynda A. King
  • Susan P. Proctor

Organizations

  • United States Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Deployment
  • Diseases And Disorders
  • Equations
  • Human Behavior
  • Iraqi-War
  • Rehabilitation
  • War

Fields of Study

  • Medicine
  • Psychology

Readers

  • Mental Health of Military Veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Risk Factors, Prevalence, Symptoms, and Treatment.
  • Psychological Intervention/Treatment for Stress, Anxiety, PTSD, and Related Emotional and Cognitive Health Symptoms.