Physical health conditions associated with full and subthreshold PTSD in U.S. military veterans: Results from the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study

El‐Gabalawy, Renée; Blaney, Caitlin; Tsai, Jack; Sumner, Jennifer A.; Pietrzak, Robert H.

doi:10.1016/j.jad.2017.11.058

Cited by 74 publications

(51 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…Our findings generally support other studies in veterans, e.g. finding an association between PTSD and an increased number of physical health conditions in veterans [60], and PTSD was associated with reports of physical comorbidity in Australian Vietnam veterans [16]. Specifically, there is strong evidence for the association between PTSD and hypertension [61], but our findings on the risk of GI disorders and prostate and GU disorders have not previously been shown.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Hospital admissions for non-communicable disease in the UK military and associations with alcohol use and mental health: a data linkage study

Goodwin¹,

Leightley²,

Chui³

et al. 2020

BMC Public Health

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Background Since the recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, the short-term focus of military healthcare research has been on the consequences of deployment for mental health and on those wounded or injured in combat. Now that these conflicts have ended for the UK Armed Forces, it is important to consider the longer term physical and mental health consequences, and just as importantly, the links between these. The aims of this study were to determine the most common physical conditions requiring a hospital admission in UK military personnel and whether they were more common in personnel with a mental health condition, smokers, and/or those misusing alcohol compared to those without. Methods Data linkage of a prospective UK military cohort study to electronic admitted patient care records for England, Wales and Scotland. Nine thousand nine hundred ninety military personnel completed phase 2 of a military cohort study (56% response rate, data collected from 2007 to 2009), with analyses restricted to 86% of whom provided consent for linkage to healthcare records (n = 8602). Ninety percent were male and the mean age at phase 2 was 36 years. The outcome was physical non communicable diseases (NCDs) requiring a hospital admission which occurred after phase 2 of the cohort when the mental health, smoking and alcohol use exposure variables had been assessed until the end of March 2014. Results The most common NCDs requiring a hospital admission were gastrointestinal disorders 5.62% (95% Confidence Intervals (CI) 5.04, 6.19) and joint disorders 5.60% (95% CI 5.02, 6.18). Number of NCDs requiring a hospital admission was significantly higher in those with a common mental disorder (Hazard ratio (HR) 1.40 (95% CI 1.16–1.68), post-traumatic stress disorder (HR 1.78 (95% CI 1.32–2.40)) and in current smokers (HR 1.35 (95% CI 1.12–1.64) compared to those without the disorder, and non-smokers, respectively. Conclusions Military personnel with a mental health problem are more likely to have an inpatient hospital admission for NCDs compared to those without, evidencing the clear links between physical and mental health in this population.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Hospital admissions for non-communicable disease in the UK military and associations with alcohol use and mental health: a data linkage study

Goodwin¹,

Leightley²,

Chui³

et al. 2020

BMC Public Health

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“…Although the prevalence of a positive PTSD diagnosis was relatively low among this sample, research suggests that nearly one in four veterans has subclinical PTSD . Further, evidence suggests that subthreshold PTSD symptomatology may produce similar levels of distress and impairment as clinically diagnosed PTSD, and may also contribute to poor physical functioning …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 70%

“…Further, it is estimated that approximately 25% of veterans and 12% of current Guard soldiers experience subclinical PTSD symptomatology . These symptoms have also been shown to be associated with poor physical and mental health …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Drug use and hazardous drinking are associated with PTSD symptoms and symptom clusters in US Army Reserve/National Guard Soldiers

et al. 2018

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Background and Objectives: There is strong evidence of the association between Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms and substance use. Previous work has found sex differences in these associations. With revisions to the DSM, it is important to understand how overall PTSD symptoms and the new symptom clusters relate to substance use among Reserve/Guard soldiers-a high risk group. Methods: Data are from the baseline assessment of Operation: SAFETY (Soldiers and Families Excelling Through the Years), a longitudinal study of US Army Reserve/National Guard (USAR/NG) soldiers (N ¼ 389 males, N ¼ 84 females). We examined associations between current substance use (drug use, hazardous drinking, and smoking) and overall PTSD symptoms, and symptom clusters. Additionally, we examined PTSD by sex interactions. Results: Greater overall PTSD symptoms were associated with higher odds of drug use (OR ¼ 1.08; 95%CI: 1.05, 1.12) and hazardous drinking (OR ¼ 1.04; 95%CI: 1.02, 1.07). Greater individual symptom cluster scores were associated with higher odds of drug use (ps < .001) and hazardous drinking (ps < .01). Interaction models revealed no differences in these associations on the basis sex (ps > .05). There were no associations between PTSD symptoms or symptom clusters on smoking (ps > .05). Discussion and Conclusion: Soldiers experiencing PTSD symptoms are reporting current drug and hazardous alcohol use, suggestive of self-medication. Scientific Significance: It is imperative to consider the impact of PTSD on substance use broadly, as this work shows that overall symptoms and symptom clusters have an impact on male and female USAR/NG soldiers.

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“…Although it has been largely investigated in the literature, the association between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and medical comorbidities is still controversial, mainly because the majority of the studies focused on specific medical conditions [1][2][3][4] or populations such as veterans [5,6]. According to a review [7], PTSD was associated with greater frequency and severity of cardio-respiratory and gastrointestinal complaints, while a recent study highlighted that chronic or neck problems, frequent headaches, arthritis or rheumatism and hypertension were highly prevalent in adults with PTSD [8].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Italy: a comprehensive evaluation of all the ICD comorbidities and gender-related differences

Ferretti

Pozza

Bossini

et al. 2019

Preprint

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Objectives: The association between Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and medical comorbidities is controversial since most studies focused on specific comorbidity and victim types. In Italy, data on this issue are scarce. A comprehensive evaluation of all the ICD medical categories co-occurring in PTSD may orient assessment and treatment during clinical and forensic practice. This is the first study evaluating all the ICD physical comorbidities and gender-related differences in Italian PTSD patients. Eighty-four PTSD patients (36 females, 48 males) were included. The Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale, Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview and Davidson Trauma Scale were administered. Results: Most patients had a PTSD consequent to an accident and half of them presented extreme symptom severity. No gender differences emerged on symptom severity/duration and age at the event. Metabolic (39.29%), circulatory (20.24%) and musculoskeletal systems/connective tissue diseases (17.86%) were the most frequent comorbidities. Metabolic/circulatory diseases were more frequent among males (p=0.019 and p= 0.027, respectively) while females more frequently showed neoplasms (p=0.039). Physical comorbidities represent a serious complication in PTSD patients and are more prevalent than in the Italian population. While gender is not associated with symptom presentation, it seems to play a key role in specific comorbidities including metabolic, circulatory and neoplastic diseases.

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Physical health conditions associated with full and subthreshold PTSD in U.S. military veterans: Results from the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study

Cited by 74 publications

References 26 publications

Hospital admissions for non-communicable disease in the UK military and associations with alcohol use and mental health: a data linkage study

Hospital admissions for non-communicable disease in the UK military and associations with alcohol use and mental health: a data linkage study

Drug use and hazardous drinking are associated with PTSD symptoms and symptom clusters in US Army Reserve/National Guard Soldiers

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Italy: a comprehensive evaluation of all the ICD comorbidities and gender-related differences

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