PTSD Symptom Increases in Iraq-Deployed Soldiers: Comparison with NonDeployed Soldiers and Associations with Baseline Symptoms, Deployment Experiences, and Postdeployment Stress

Abstract

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been identified as a significant public health consequence of war. The paucity of prospective research and inclusion of appropriate! comparison samples, however, has complicated casual interferences regarding war-zone deployment and PTSD. Enhanced understanding of causal relationships between war and PTSD will help guide healthcare policy. We assessed 779 U.S. Army Soldiers before and after Iraq deployment and compared them with 315 Soldiers similar in military characteristics who did not deploy. PTSD symptom severity and questionnaire-derived screening diagnoses were measured as outcomes. We additionally measured lifetime, war-zone, homefront, and post-deployment stress exposures. Deployment was associated with greater PTSD severity (B=3.61;P<O.OO1) and almost a threefold higher risk of developing PTSD (OR=2.97, CI=2.56.3 .46). PTSD cases among deployed Soldiers increased from 7.6% before deployment to 12.1% following deployment. Although PTSD did not differ significantly at post-deployment between National Guard and active duty Soldiers, PTSD increased more among national Guard Soldiers who reported fewer PTSD symptoms prior to deployment than active duty Soldiers. War-zone events, homefront concerns, and post-deployment life events were associated with outcomes among all deployed Soldiers, but post-deployment life events had greater impact on National Guard as compared with active duty Soldiers. This study provides stronger evidence than previously possible that war-zone deployment is associated with increased risk of PTSD. Findings also highlight the impact of homefront and post-deployment life events in addition to war-zone stress exposures, and emphasize the importance of continued attention to the concerns of reservists,

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Feb 01, 2010
Accession Number
ADA518104

Entities

People

  • Charles W. Hoge
  • Daniel W. King
  • Jennifer J. Vasterling
  • Lynda A. King
  • Matthew J. Friedman
  • Susan P. Proctor
  • Timothy Heeren

Organizations

  • United States Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Active Duty
  • Demography
  • Deployment
  • Diseases And Disorders
  • Health
  • Health Care
  • Health Services
  • Iraqi-War
  • Medical Personnel
  • Mental Health
  • Military Personnel
  • Minority Groups
  • National Guard
  • Organizational Structure
  • Psychology
  • Public Health
  • Regression Analysis

Fields of Study

  • 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.