Posttraumatic Residues of Captivity (original) (raw)

The psychological responses to captivity were measured in a sample of former prisoners of war (POWs) 18 and 30 years after release from captivity. 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), sociode-mographic variables, and psychological appraisal and coping with captivity to predicting PTSD using standardized self-report questionnaires. 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 aim of this study was to assess the long-term impact of war captivity and combat stress reaction on rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in Israeli veterans of the 1973 Yom Kippur war. One hundred sixty-four former prisoners of war (POWs), 112 veterans who had had combat stress reaction, and 184 combat veteran comparison subjects filled out the PTSD Inventory, a self-report scale based on the DSM-III-R criteria for PTSD. The inventory diagnoses past and present PTSD, assesses its intensity, and provides a symptom profile. Thirty-seven percent of the veterans who had had combat stress reaction, 23% of the former POWs, and 14% of the comparison subjects had had diagnosable PTSD at some time in the past. The current rates were 13%, 13%, and 3%, respectively. The results showed different recovery rates over time: almost two-thirds of the veterans with combat stress reaction who had had PTSD in the past recovered, while less than one-half of the POW group showed this improve...

Background: The aim of the study is to evaluate the frequency and characteristics of full and partial post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among 66 World War II Nazi prisoners of war, some of whom had been deported to death camps. Methods: The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV was used to assess the presence of PTSD and major depression. The Dissociative Experiences Scale and the 58-item version of the Hopkins Symptom Checklist were also administered. Partial PTSD was defined as the presence of at least one symptom in each of the clusters defined by DSM-IV. Results: Forty-eight percent of the subjects have a partial PTSD, while 20% reported the full syndrome. When compared to subjects with full PTSD, those with partial PTSD showed a significantly lower frequency of comorbid depression and lower levels of psychological distress, as measured by the Symptom Checklist. No differences were found with regards to dissociative symptoms and help-seeking. Conclusions: The problem of d...

Numerous studies on the health and functioning of veterans and former prisoners of war have shown that the experience of war captivity is one of the most difficult human experiences. Captivity is often characterized by extremely difficult and inhumane conditions, as well as exposure to various forms of both psychological and physical abuse. Such traumatic experiences can lead to serious psychological consequences that can last for years, even decades after release from captivity. The aim of this paper is to present a brief overview of research that points to the specifics of wartime captivity and the long-term psychological consequences in veterans of former camp detainees, as well as the consequences suffered by their families and factors that, apart from the intensity of the trauma, contribute to the emergence and persistence of psychological disorders. From the presented research, it can be concluded that former prisoners of the camp represent an extremely vulnerable group of the...