Research on Aging Military Veterans; Lifespan Implications of Military Service

S continued was associated with significantly elevated PTSD symptom severity at the time of no PTSD diagnosis. No evidence was found for an aggravation of PTSD due to stressors associated with aging. [Author Abstract] Elder, G.H., & Clipp, E.C. (1988). Combat experience, comradeship, and psychological health. In J.P. Wilson, Z. Harel, & B. Kahana (Eds.), Human adaptation to extreme stress: From the Holocaust to Vietnam (pp. 131-156). New York: Plenum Press. Topics treated: Some life­ span implications of combat experience; The measurement of combat experience; Combat and psychological functioning; Preservice psychological functioning; Conclusion; References. Feder, A., Southwick, S.M., Goetz, R.R., Wang, Y., Alonso, A., Smith, B.W., et al. (2008). Posttraumatic growth in former Vietnam prisoners of war. Psychiatry, 71, 359-370. This study examined posttraumatic growth in 30 male Veterans captured and held as prisoners of war during the Vietnam War. Participants were assessed with structured diagnostic interviews administered by trained clinicians as well as with the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) and other questionnaires measuring dispositional optimism, religious coping, social supports, and purpose in life. Mean age (standard deviation-SD) of participants was 66.7 (6.0) years. Mean total PTGI score (SD) was 66.3 (17.5), indicating a moderate degree of posttraumatic growth. The most strongly endorsed items cor­ responded to the Appreciation of Life and Personal Strength factors. The group as a whole was optimistic and reported moderate use of positive religious coping. Posttraumatic growth did not significantly differ in repatriates with and without psychopathology, but it was significantly positively correlated with dispositional optimism. In the final regression model, length of captivity and optimism were significant predictors of posttraumatic growth. our findings confirm that it is possible to achieve long-lasting personal growth even in the face of prolonged extreme adversity. Prospective studies are needed to further evaluate whether pre-existing traits such as optimism can predict growth after trauma. [Author Abstract] Ikin, J.F., Sim, M.R., McKenzie, D.P., Horsley, K.W.A., Wilson, E.J., Harrex, W.K., et al. (2009). Life satisfaction and quality in Korean War veterans five decades after the war. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 63, 359-365. Background: Military service is considered to be a hidden variable underlying current knowledge about well-being in the elderly. This study aimed to examine life satisfaction and quality of life in Australia’s surviving male Korean War Veterans and a community comparison group, and to investi­ gate any association with war deployment-related factors. Methods: Participants completed a postal questionnaire which included the Life Satisfaction Scale, the brief World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-Bref) questionnaire, and the Combat Exposure Scale. Results: Korean War Veterans reported significantly lower Percentage Life Satisfaction (PLS) and quality of life scores on four WHOQOL-Bref domains, compared with similarly aged Australian men (each p value <0.001). These outcomes were most strongly associated with severity of combat exposure and low rank. Mean PLS was approximately 15% lower in Veterans who reported heavy combat compared with those reporting no combat, and approximately 12% lower in enlisted ranked Veterans compared with officers. Conclusions: Fifty years after the Korean War, life satisfaction and quality in Australian Veterans is poor relative to other Australian men, and is associated with deployment-related factors including combat severity and low rank. In order to respond effectively to current and projected population health needs, nations with large Veteran populations may need to consider the impact of military service on well-being in later life. Jennings, P.A., Aldwin, C.M., Levenson, M.R., Spiro, A., & Mroczek, D.K. (2006). Combat exposure, perceived benefits of military service, and wisdom in later life: Findings from the Normative Aging Study. Research on Aging, 28, 115-134. Stress, even extremely traumatic stress, may pose both risks and benefits. Although combat can have lifelong negative consequences, the perception of positive benefits from military experience can mitigate the negative effects of combat on mental health. However, little research has examined the impact of trauma earlier in life on the development of positive adaptation, such as wisdom, later in life. The authors examined whether combat exposure and the perception of benefits from military experience, assessed in 1990, were associated with greater wisdom in later life, assessed in 2001 in 615 men from the Normative Aging Study men (mean age 74 years, SD = 6.8 years). A quadrilinear relationship between combat exposure and wisdom was found. Moderate levels of combat were associated with higher levels of wisdom. The perception of benefits and coping predicted wisdom. Thus, how one appraises and copes with problems may be more important in the prediction of positive adaptation than the simple occurrence of stress. [Author Abstract] Kang, H.K., Bullman, T.A., & Taylor, J.W. (2006). Risk of selected cardiovascular diseases and posttraumatic stress disorder among former World War II prisoners of war. Annals of Epidemiology, 16, 381-386. Purpose: American World War II (WWII) prisoners of war (POWs) suffered both mental and physical deprivation while interned. The long-term health consequences of the internment were studied for an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases and PTSD. Methods: This study evaluated healthcare utilization data for 10 years (1991–2000) from Veterans Affairs (VA) and non-VA healthcare providers for 19,442 former WWII PoWs and 9,728 non-PoW controls. The risk of diseases was approximated by odds ratios adjusted for race and age. Results: Collectively, former POWs had statistically significant increased risk of PTSD, and those PoWs with PTSD also had statistically significant increased risks of cardiovas­ cular diseases including hypertension and chronic ischemic heart disease when compared to both non-POWs and POWs without PTSD. Conclusions: Among former WWII PoWs, risk of cardiovascular disease is related to having PTSD. [Author Abstract] Kaup, B.A., Ruskin, P.E., & Nyman, G. (1994). Significant life events and PTSD in elderly World War II veterans. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 2, 239-243. The authors reviewed clinic records of 20 WWII Veterans referred for evaluation of PTSD. Twelve patients qualified for a diagnosis of PTSD, and eight reported several symptoms of PTSD. The most frequent symptoms were insomnia (80%), nightmares (75%), and irritability (65%). Fourteen Veterans had an exacerbation of symptoms occurring with life stresses, including retirement, deteriorating health, or death of a PAGE 4 P T S D R E S E A R C H Q U A R T E R LY