[Psychiatric morbidity following psychic trauma of combat origin]

Psychiatric morbidity following trauma of combat origin was studied in 60 Israeli veterans who applied for treatment 4-6 years after the war in Lebanon. Diagnostic tools were structured interviews for psychiatric disorders. In all subjects multiple psychiatric disorders had been diagnosed, most of which developed following the traumatic experience. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was the most prevalent condition (100%-ever; 87%-present). Comorbidity included major depression with a very high prevalence (95%-ever; 50%-present) and anxiety disorders: phobic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic attacks and generalized anxiety (prevalence range 12-25%-ever and 8-18%-present). The prevalence of minor affective disorders (specifically alcoholism or drug abuse) was considerably less. These findings suggest a possible link between PTSD and depressive and anxiety disorders, beyond a mere sharing of common symptoms. They also support the diagnostic validity of PTSD as an independent nosologic category. In addition, the lack of specific pharmacotherapy for PTSD on the one hand and the high prevalence of depressive and anxiety comorbidity on the other, support a special focus on antidepressive and anxiolytic medication for PTSD.