Delayed PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder): Incidence, Impact Mediation, Stressful Life Events, Social Resources and Coping Style

摘要

Delayed onset PTSD (DPTSD), an inevitable consequence of wars, has been the focus of numerous clinical reports. Study 1: The sample consisted of three groups of veterans: (1) delayed PTSD casualties; (2) chronic PTSD casualties; and (3) soldiers who emerged from the 1982 war without any diagnosable psychiatric disorder (controls). Results showed significant differences among the study groups. Delayed PTSD cases exhibited significantly more disorder and distress than controls, but less than chronic cases. Both delayed and chronic PTSD subjects reported having experienced more threating situations during battle than control subjects. In use of personal resources to mitigate stress, delayed PTSD subjects were more similar to controls than to chronic PTSD subejcts. DPTSD and controls than to chronic PTSD subjects. DPTSD subjects did not differ in their experience of negative life events from control subjects. However, both DPTSD and controls reported fewer negative life events than chronic PTSD cases. Study 2: The sample consisted of three groups of women married to combat veterans: (1) wives of DPTSD casualties; (2) wives of veterans with immediate onset PTSD; and (3) wives of non-PTSD combat veterans. Wives of PTSD casualties reported considerably more distress than wives of non-PTSD veterans. Wives of delayed onset PTSD veterans, however, reported the most severe distress in both themselves and their husbands. Keywords: Combat stress, Trauma. (SDW)