Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among Israeli Ex-Prisoners of War 18 and 30 Years After Release

Abstract

Background: The psychological responses to captivity were measured in a sample of former prisoners of war (POWs) 18 and 30 years after release from captivity. Method: 209 Israeli veterans of the 1973 Yom Kippur War (103 ex-POWs and 106 controls) who had taken part in a previous study conducted in 1991 participated in the current study conducted in 2003. The study assessed current rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), changes in PTSD over time, and the contribution of captivity severity (objective and subjective), sociodemographic variables, and psychological appraisal and coping with captivity to predicting PTSD using standardized self-report questionnaires. Results: Twenty-three percent of the ex-POWs met PTSD criteria and were 10 times more likely than controls to experience deterioration in their psychological condition in the 12-year interval between the 2 assessments. Almost 20% of ex-POWs who did not meet PTSD criteria in 1991 met criteria in the current assessment, in comparison to almost 1% of the controls. Current PTSD was predicted by younger age at the time of captivity, by loss of emotional control and higher subjective appraisal of suffering in captivity, and by a greater number of PTSD symptoms in the 1991 assessment. Conclusion: It is important to follow up and offer treatment to former POWs. Special attention should be paid to those who lost emotional control in captivity and to those who felt that the conditions of their captivity were severe.

Blast Exposure

“…As such, the significance of this increase over time is unclear. Longer-term Israeli studies suggest growth of PTSD over 15 to 30 years, but a Dutch study looking at Iraq War Infantry Soldiers suggested no significant increase over time (11,12). It is clear that in the blast population with chronic mTBI, the rate of PTSD (43%) is significantly higher than in other populations of US Service members.…”

World Assumptions Among Wives of Former Prisoners of War

“…The veterans of both groups were matched for personal, military, and combat background. Data were collected from ex-POWs and combat veterans thrice over the course of 35 years: 18, 30, and 35 years after the war (for details, see Solomon & Dekel, 2005;Solomon, Neria, Ohry, Waysman, & Ginzburg, 1994). Data were also collected from the veterans' spouses twice: 30 and 36 years after the war.…”

Attachment-Related Consequences of War Captivity and Trajectories of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A 17-Year Longitudinal Study

“…Studies of the psycho-social effects of war captivity have identified posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a common and highly debilitating outcome (e.g., Dikel, Engdahl, & Eberly, 2005;Solomon & Dekel, 2005;Sutker, Allain, & Winstead, 1993). However, although many ex-POWs suffer from PTSD symptoms, the symptoms may fluctuate over time.…”